


Forever Mine DISCONTINUED!

by Verbophobic



Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Dysfunctional Relationships, F/M, Family, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-12
Updated: 2017-06-27
Packaged: 2017-12-19 06:48:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Chapters: 41
Words: 75,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/880706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Verbophobic/pseuds/Verbophobic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alright so after a few comments and much thought I've made the decision to leave this up and just discontinue it and create a new upload. I will note that the majority of the chapters are the same for the first while (after chapter one and two which were HEAVILY edited) and many things have changed becuase I the creator changed over the years. Not to mention I've delved so far into this franchise I know more than I had ever wished to originally lmao. I'm going to post the first chapter soon!</p><p>Look for the story As Easy as Boiling Water</p><p>Ironhide/Oc Title is thanks to a friend of mine. October is more than just a month. October is a way of life for one certain bot. October is warm and loving. October is everything he needs and wants. October is a teenage girl. </p><p>This Story is about more than just friendships or romances made. Bonds are what hold us together so will it be a bond that tears them apart? My take on how bonds truly affect those that it touches. How the bond can be as helpful as it is hurtful, but in the end worth it and nothing could ever take it's place. Never would anyone be willing to give a bond up.</p><p>M because I'm not very nice and theres future things that will attest to that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Two Worlds, One Family](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/24500) by Ninnasims3. 



> Acknowledgments where they belong: Ninnasims3- Title is all her doing. So is the entire idea for this. Had it not been for her I would still be in my funk of complete and total Writers Block. while the plot and everything about this story is mine I have a oneshot written with a scene from her story woven as my own (her permission granted that is) and from that oneshot this story was derived. So it's all thanks to her that I have this. Check her and her stories out on Fanfiction.Net!
> 
> P.S. I own transformers... I don't care what legality says damn it! Fine whatever, Bay owns this not me. I think. I honestly don't care to remember who owns transformers but this story is purely mine :P

Chapter One: October in May

"October?" a brunette woman called. she was a beautiful teenage girl that had just finished high school along with her boyfriend. Behind her stood her boyfriend who claims to be still waiting on his growth spurt. though he did have five inches on her most times due to her disinterest in heels. "Sam, I'm going to go get her."

"No," Sam said and wrapped his arms around her waist refusing to let her go, "she's a big girl, Mikaela. Let her dress herself." he softly laid a kiss to the back of her head.

"Ha, ha, ha, Sam. you're so freaking funny." A new girl said leaning against the door frame. Her golden copper hair caught the light just right to make Mikaela thing of the copper wiring she needed to finish for her stereo. Sam just noticed her russet colored eyes roll to emphasize her sarcastic remark. "I just need to put sun screen on then we can go." She said.

"Why do you need sun screen?" Sam asked even as he released Mikaela so she could help October put the lotion on. "It's only like seventy out."

"Okay do me a favor, look at your skin tone, look at her's" October nodded towards Mikaela, "now look at me. I'll burn to a crisp in ten minutes." Indeed Sam looked. He had a nice tan while Mikaela was a light mocha color. October on the other hand really lived up to her name sake. Her hair was like the dying leaves with her bark colored eyes. Skin as white as the chilly bite that the month gave off. With such pasty skin she would indeed 'burn to a crisp in ten minutes'.

The lotion was on and outside they went. Sam's bright yellow chevy sat right in front of her small house, or as Sam called it shack, with two bikes on the tailgate. October never said anything as Sam told his car 'see ya later buddy' even though she had found it odd at first. Then she had figured every person had their quirks, that was just Sam's. Hers was letting her fingers trail over a pile of rocks and kissing the top one before returning it to the pile. Her loyal pet had recently passed on and this was her grave.

Opening her empty garage, well empty of a car, she took her bike out and hitched up the small trailer. She used to be a babysitter for several families so she had gotten a baby trailer attachment for going to and through the park. Now she just used it to put her bag along with the picnic basket into to make biking to the park easier. The three friends put everything they had into her trailer and got ready to go. Sam was the only one that bothered with a helmet. Until he pleaded enough with Mikaela to put hers on that she gave in just to shut him up.

October found it cute. Not the pathetic pleading or her giving in, but that he cared about her of them had just graduated High school and were taking a year break before college. Well Sam was, the girls were forgoing higher education. October because she was rich, her grandfather had been rich up until the day his heart gave out and willed everything to October including his large estate that her family rented dirt cheep from her. She did odd jobs but was literally set for life, three times over. It was because of that vast amount of money that had fallen into her lap that she had only these two friends and envied their relationship. Love, or the teenage equivalent of it, she wanted.

Being rich as a young teen she easily saw how people wanted to use her so she became shy and stopped talking. Mikaela had been her gym partner from ninth grade until graduation but they had become friends before October even opened her mouth about anything money wise. With Mikaela came Sam, due to their relationship, so these were the only two friends she had. October wished for more than a friend. Or rather a friend that was not only just a friend.

Shy little October wanted love but for now she would be content to sweatily bike up this hill with her two friends. Cars and her, well they just didn't get along. Not since her father had died in one at least. she could easily ride in one with someone but put her behind the drivers seat and she began to freak. Besides biking and being outside was better for her health.

Behind her October could hear her friends talking. "Hey, Toby," October grasped the wrong bike handle break and held it so tight that had it not been for her trailer she would have went over the bars.

"Call me that one more time and I'll remove a piece of your anatomy." Before people wanted to use her for money they had made fun of her. Moby Toby, so what she hadn't always been so thin? The reference to Moby Dick did surprise her slightly though. Who had known her class mates even knew who that was! But even so Toby was still a sore spot.

"Whatever," Sam grumbled catching up to her and stopping next to her. and stopping to take not only a breath but a drink from the water bottle connected to his bike. He offered it to her and Mikaela. Accepting it she took a gracious drink then passed it on, "we were wondering if you wanted to meet a few of our friends? They're not exactly like normal people so we were thinking maybe you guys would get along," we being him and Mikaela.

"I- I don't know," October muttered. She had long since been not good with people. If anything she'd make a fool of herself and her friends.

"Just meet them, please?" Mikaela asked. October mutely nodded. She was a sucker for doing what her friends wanted. All either had to do was ask and she would say yes. If Sam had asked her to meet their friends she would have said yes, but he had asked if she wanted to. "Cool, how tired are you two? Cause the base is only an hours bike ride from here."

Sam groaned and October took a small bottle of sunscreen off it's key hook to slather more on. she hated getting burned so if Mikaela was going to make them take an hour long bike ride she was taking no chances with turning her white skin lobster red. "Can't I just call Bee? Can't he drive us?"

"Man up Sam," Mikaela ordered then began to lead the way. Half an hour later Sam was falling way behind. This lunch picnic is not what she had expected.

Speaking of which, "You want a cold water, Mikaela?" October asked as they once again stopped to wait for sam to catch up. Unzipping the sides of her enclosed baby trailer she took out her insulated lunch bag. In the bottom was water with two ice packs and five waters she shoved in. Taking two she passed one to her friend and opened her own.

"Water~" Sam moaned as he caught up and Having drank half of hers already October passed it to him. They were so going to get Mono one of these days. Sam chugged the rest of her water and tossed the garbage back to october who put it into the trailer. Mikaela finished what she wanted and passed it to Sam. He finished hers too and the same happened with that bottle. "Do we have to? I can so still call Bee. He's got AirConditioning, Mikaela~" he tried to reason then it turned into a whine when Mikaela ignored him and continued to pedal forward.

October just gave her friend a shrug then continued to bike. Sam was so out of shape compared to the two girls! While he drove everywhere, Mikaela did walk and bike nearly weekly and caught rides with him, and October walked or biked daily. She also jogged a lot too, she used to be on the schools track team and she missed it. This bike ride was nothing compared to her normal schedule it was just that the sun was going higher up and, checking her phone that was mounted onto the handle bars of her bike, the temperature was riding with it. An hour ago it had only been seventy, now it was seventy-eight and going up.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so something I forgot to mention last chapter. TF2 and TF3 haven't happened yet, not sure I'll even go along with that plot. TF1 did happen, BUT (and this is a big but) Jazz did not die. I'll explain that more in a later chapter but I wanted to clear all of this up first.
> 
> Thanks to the three people that reviewed!

Chapter Two: October, Not Toby

Arriving at the base same entered the semi cool hanger and collapsed to the floor. Mikaela and october just leisurely walked passed him pushing their bikes in. October was in awe of the amount of security that went into the gates, three in total with barbed wire razor wire and concertina wire, yet the front gate was basically open. Well it opened and closed automatically with a different code put in for each of the three gates.

Leaving the bikes just inside of the place Mikaela began to show October around. Being the shy girl October just stayed silent and took in everything her friend said. "You remember the attack on Mission City?" Mikaela asked her friend hesitantly. October nodded, who could forget giant terrorist made robots nearly leveling a large city? "well not everything was true. The robots were in two factions, not one. There are the Autobots and the Decepticons, good verses bad. The good guys won with only one severely injured man, bot, while the bad guys lost their leader and lost the battle.

"The Autobots, short for Autonomous Robotic Organisms, are the good guys that won the fight. me and Sam, well, we're their friends. and now you are too." Mikaela waited to see how her friend would react. Waited for either the laughter or fear. what she got she didn't expect.

"It's 'Sam and I' Mikaela, not 'me and Sam'. How many times do I have to go over this with you?"

Even Sam, who is friends with the Autobots, was showing more interest in this than she was. He was close to freaking out while yelling at her that she was crazy. "If they are the good guys then what do I have to worry about?" She boldly stated. Though that boldness left the moment they entered the next section of the hanger where the large robotic men were.

It wasn't that they were large robots that had her silent and staring at her boot clad feet, but it was the fact that they were all strangers. Mikaela greeted the largest, in height, one that stood in the hanger, "Optimus!" she called out getting not only his attention but everyone else's too.

"Mikaela, where is Sam?" He asked though his eyes looked over the shorter new girl. While Mikaela was average height for humans she was very tiny compared to the thirty-two foot tall robot. So October, who was shorter than Mikaela's five foot four at five feet and one inch, was smaller than any of the robots had seen except for children, "this must be your friend, October Arizona, that you had wished to introduce us to."

Mikaela knew that waiting for her female friend to say anything would waste so much time, "yeah, this is October. October this is Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots. Sam is laying on the floor in the first hanger, I'll go get him." Mikaela left the hanger and October trailed behind her just watching her feet as if it was the first time she had ever seen them.

Ratchet came up to his leader and friend, "she's not afraid of us," he said as if he knew what Optimus wanted to know, "or rather not afraid of us in the way everyone is thinking." That was all the old Medic would give up before returning to his med bay. While no one was hurt or in need of repairs it never hurt to be on the safe side. Especially with Mudflap and Skids having arrived recently and causing as much damage as they have. Then in the second set of twins, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, and the recipe for someone being damaged in the next twenty four hours rose to close to eighty percent.

Mikaela was leading October and Sam into the hanger while explaining something to the other female. Sam was leaning heavily on the short girl while complaining about being tired and not knowing how they could do it. "Can one of you guys call Bee? He's probably still in front of her house."

The large black bot nodded. His height was nothing compared to Optimus but he still stood about twenty five or twenty six feet high, it was hard to tell from only five feet. Though his bulk made up for his lack of height. If he were human he would look like a body builder. Or one of those large guys that went to the gym daily and got their arms large enough to be the size of her waist. A small over exaggeration but who was to judge her in her own mind?

When his large blue eyes turned to look at her she flushed and looked back to the ground. Her black boots stood out against the light gray of the floor. Her jeans were tucked into her knee high boots making her feel different. She had never dressed like a normal person before so whenever meeting someone knew she felt even more different. Sure these new people were large alien robots but that was not the point.

Sam was still leaning on her when he straightened, "the food!" he cried startling October into jumping nearly a foot in the air. Literally, she had nearly jumped high enough to be of equal height to him, "Tobe's go get the food."

"My name is October," she muttered under her breath but still she did as he told her and went to retrieve the food.

"I thought her Designation was 'October' like your human month," Ironhide said after hearing her small mumbled words. "It seems that she would prefer it if you called her that." Ironhide didn't really care so he turned away to fidget with his canon more. He was turning the safety on manually so that there would be no chance of him shooting the small human when she came back, he wanted to show her his guns like he did with Sam and Mikaela a year ago upon their first meeting.

October returned with two food baskets and the drink one when there was a whirring right above her and she was bathed in bright blue light. "Like my canons?" Ironhide asked, his voice held a menacing tone. All of the bots and her two friends knew he wouldn't do anything, he just liked showing off.

Looking up October was nearly blinded by the light. Her eyes quickly took in the large weapon that was close to double her size. Then her head fell forward and she was silent. "Yes?" she mumbled, more asking him if that's what he wanted to hear, but above the whirring noise no other bot but him heard her.

Powering down his weapon he watched her curiously. Honestly he had expected, and wanted, a girlish scream like the one Sam had given off a year ago. Not moving she continued to stand there looking down. Her hair was in a pony tail but her face framing bangs weren't and they hid her face, hid the brown eyes that were trained on him.

"Come on, Toby. I'm hungry." Sam called.

Once again October grumbled, "October, what is so hard about that?" Though she still followed Sam and Mikaela to go eat.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Bee-otch

Two day's later October was at the base again but this time it was only Sam with her, "you said that you would drop me off at Barnes and Nobel." She said quietly to him. being on the base didn't bother her, and neither did the large robots, but she still was greatly shy around them. She'd only seen them twice before and she had said little more than muttered oaths under her breath about how her name was not Toby.

Today it was only Bee, the set of twins terrors (Sunny and Sides), and Ironhide. Another Bot had been sighted coming into the atmosphere so Optimus had taken a team to get them. Jazz, Ratchet and himself (being Optimus)went to meet up with the new bot. The twin idiots were out patrolling at the moment because one of the ground's cameras went down. That was Ironhide's plan and it got one set of idiots away.

Sam liked to visit the base with Bee as often as possible and considering he had off this week his destination to hang out until Mikaela got off of work at eight was here. He just so happened to like dragging october with him. Mostly due to Mikaela's urging, she didn't want her friend to spend all summer alone.

"Get over it, Toby." Sam finally said when he heard her grumbling about his nickname for her. He may have had great memory about who had been in school with him, but he didn't remember her. He remembered Moby Toby- sure who wouldn't have remembered the obese little girl?- but he had never made the connection between them because the summer of fifth grade she took up running and by sixth grade she had lost a hundred pounds and was underweight at sixty-six pounds.

"My name is October! Get it through your head Sam! I never liked Toby. I will never be Moby Toby again so stop calling me that!" She finally burst out. Sam was taken aback, first of all she was never this loud. Second being that she was the fat girl that disappeared! Realized what she had yelled she covered her beat red face.

"Moby Toby?" Sam asked wide eyed as him and his friend sat in the kitchen alone. "You were Moby Toby? How? You transferred in in sixth grade while she- she- no one knows what happened to her." He just couldn't see it. Moby Toby had been a hundred seventy pounds in only fifth grade, this girl in front of him could be no more than a hundred with her height and skinny ass.

"Please, Sam. My name is October, not Toby or any variation of it. Just October." Getting up she left him in his severe shock. All of their trash went with her and she tossed it out. She was headed for the exit of the hanger, if Sam wasn't going to take she she would walk.

She made it half a mile away when Bee, Sam's guardian Autobot, drove up. His alternate mode, the human vehicle he shifted into, was a 2009 Chevy Camaro. the drivers door popped open and he waited for her to get in, "I don't drive." She said and watched in amazement as a human formed in the drivers seat. He was a male about her age, nineteen, with short and choppily cut blond hair. His bright blue eyes was the same as the rest of the Autobots' and his bright white teeth flashed in a grin.

"Hop on, lil' lady." A Southern voice played from the radio as the passenger door opened and the drivers one closed. Biting her lip she hesitated, she still didn't know Bumblebee too well. "Don't you worry bout what's on your mind (oh my). Im in no hurry I can take my time (oh my)," Mick Jagger's voice sang from Bumblebee's speakers.

Even though the context of those words held a different meaning than what he was saying she understood. Thinking it over again she decided that it would be nice to be friends with at least one Autobot on base. This way she could stop hovering over Mikaela and Sam and let the two love birds make out without an audience. She had seen enough of that to last her a life time recently.

Silently she got in to the passengers side of the car and When she sat down she could feel the car humming almost joyously. "Hello beautiful~" a males voice from a movie said, "What's the destination?" a different movies voice asked.

October shrugged and slumped down in the seat. She reached for the seatbelt and buckled herself in and looked out the window. The car lowered closer to the ground and she knew she upset him, "hi." she whispered and not another world left her mouth. Bumblebee shifted, the car not his holographic form, and then they were off driving. Curiously she reached over to poke his form but her hand went through and his form wavered. His head twisted to look at her with a shock before he jokingly scowled at her, his wink was enough for her to know it was a joke. "Eyes on the road!" she nearly screeched.

"Baby- I. Am. -this car, Judy." She knew the first word was a song due to the tune while the second was Iron Man by Black Sabbath. The car commercial at the end threw her though, Judy?

But going along with his implied meaning she said "oh, well in that case," and poked through him again. The car rumbled in what she assumed was laughter. Looking back out the widow she watched his form from the corner of her eye until his hologram faced the road again. Hen her hand snapped out and she poked through him again. She did it so nonchalantly and pretended that nothing had happened that he jumped.

He grinned like an idiot at her and she couldn't help the small smile that flicked to life over her lips. He turned back to the road after two minutes but his grin stayed. His eyes locked on the road but an internal sensor monitored her. So when her hand snapped out again to make his form flicker he caught it in his own hand.

Eyes wide as saucers she tried to get her hand back. He was corporeal now! Bumblebee released her hand and she poked his cheek to double check. Yup, solid as she was. The music that was playing from the radio stuttered and the car rocked. He was laughing his ass off.

The arrived back at the base then and once he got it he let her out. transforming back into his natural bipedal form he stretched as he stood up. Off to find Ironhide and check back in he almost missed the heat signature following him. He looked back at the and saw that she was almost jogging to keep up with the two steps he took. Slowing his walk down he continued and was pleasantly surprised when she continued to follow him.

Oddly enough he had once or twice wondered how mother ducks felt with their sparklings following them. Going to Ironhide's firing range he hesitated outside of the door. "Wait here," a voice played over his radio to October. Opening the door he cautiously entered, having learned the hard way that Ironhide might fire upon an intruder to his range if he was in a bad enough mood.

There the black mech bot was standing and tinkering with a canon. Using his comm link he informed his mentor and elder of his return. " Ironhide glanced at the yellow bot but it was a small white blob that caught his optic. Standing behind bee at the door, but not daring to enter- smart of her- passed the threshold, was the new human. It had been her stark white shirt that had caught his attention.

"Bee, you've got a follower," Ironhide said then looked back to his canon. "go and deal with it." An obvious dismissal. While Bee would have normally been dismayed at the curt dismissal buy the mech he really looked up to, he had another being on his mind at the moment. His new friend was waiting outside for him.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: Good Deeds, Bad Repercussions

The next day was one that Mikaela had off so her and Sam went on a date. That left October alone. In her small house she walked over to a wall filled with books. She was a loner so she was a bookworm. But today none of the titles seemed to appeal to her. The three book cases were side by side and only one and half was filled so she figured why not bike to the book store and get a few more books. The store was a twenty minute bike ride away and by the time she got there she had wished she had a car, if only for the AirConditioning in the eighty degree weather.

So taking it slow she got out her bike, added the attachment, then with an icy water bottle in the holder she headed off. Her head bobbed in time to music only she could hear. The volume that murmured though he head phones was so low she could barely hear it. It was low due to her want to hear if a car were to come screeching at her.

It was a lucking thing she did too. It was not the signs of screeching that caught her attention but the loud sound of a thrumming engine not planning to stop. pulling onto the shoulder of the road she waited for the car to pass. The van like vehicle of a police car sped passed her at illegal speeds.

Continuing on her way she made it to the bookstore and was glad for the air conditioned building. Finding several books was what she planned. But none of them held her interest. After meeting real live alien robots no title from sci-fi or any type of fiction caught her interest. Non-fiction had never been her thing before either. The hour wasted wandering around the large book store ended with her purchasing and insanely expensive book mark. It should be illegal how much they charge for a thin piece of paper with a bead attached to the sting at the end.

But the day was not lost yet, she stopped at the super market. While she refused to buy things that needed to be kept cold- the half hour bike ride from here would spoil it all in this heat- she still got several things she had needed. Fruits, waters, and other like necessities. As she was paying a lady with her daughter got in line behind her.

Today October's hair was pulled back in a braid for convince. It kept loose strands from flying out and possibly getting in her face or sticking to her sweaty skin and still covered her neck. The little girl grabbed a toy and set it on the conveyer belt, "I told you no, Annabelle! Stop doing this shit!" October held onto her card when the casher went to take it to scan. Holding up a finger the guy behind the register shrugged, he'd wait a minute if necessary. "God, you are such a brat."

October took the toy the little girl was about to cry over and bought it. The G. I. Joe doll in desert cammies cost her and extra six bucks, the guy behind the registers used his employee discount card for ten percent off. He too took pity on the little girl. Going outside October opened the doll and handed it to the sniffling child when she came out. The older sister or babysitter, for no mother would have treated their daughter in such a way- at least not in public, walked ahead of the lagging behind child.

The figure was held out to the little girl with blonde pigtails. Her blue eyes widened and she looked up at October. "Daddy." the girl said as she took the doll. Ah, so that was it. Her father must have been military. A car started up and then drove off but October saw the driver, who was on the phone.

"How do I contact your mother or father?" October asked as she watched the ditzy teen babysitter driving away. The small dark blue VW bug was getting smaller and smaller. The little girl just cocked her head to the side not knowing how to reply. "What's your name?"

"Anna! Anna! Anna!" she chanted. noticing a heart shaped necklace around the girls neck she opened the locket to find a picture of a male on one side and a name on the other.

"Anna Lennox. Your daddy and mommy are going to freak. How about we get you home?" Anna lifted her arms and October picked her up. Taking out her phone she called Sam but as soon as it rang one time she immediately hung up. This may be an emergency but she didn't want to disturb Sam and Mikaela on one of their few dates recently. Their work schedules had completely clashed and today they had both gotten off for this date.

There was someone else she could call though, a number that Bee had programmed into her phone yesterday. "Hey, Bumblebee, you're a robot with free wifi and unlimited access to nearly every database, right?"

"Yes, why do you ask, October?" His own voice said over the phone. while trying to speak he couldn't due to injuries but through communications such as this his internal database was unharmed so he could speak.

"I need to find a Lennox that's in the military." There was the sound of whirring on the other end like the robot was sputtering.

"Captain Lennox, what for?" Bee asked making sure to mask their conversation from not only the Decepticons but other Autobots too.

"He has a daughter, right?"

"Yes."

"Well his babysitter just abandoned her at the super market. If you can contact him I can be at the base in ten, maybe fifteen minutes." she knew that it was a lie and the fastest she could get there would be twenty minutes. "See you soon." she hung up on him and smiled at the little girl. "Lets go find your daddy." Pushing her cart to her bike she stuffed half of it with the food while putting the little girl in the second seat. Taking out a water that she had just bought she gave it to the girl.

It was the Poland Springs water that the top popped up like a water bottle instead of a normal plastic bottle. Already condensation was forming on the sides from the intense heat. "Thank." Anna said drinking graciously from the water bottle as October buckled her in. Anna seemed to think about something then held out the bottle back to October.

"No, sweetie. That's for you." From her pocket October withdrew a small pocket knife. She stabbed it into the case of water she had put in and opened it. "If you finish that and want more take all you need."

The Base was a half hour bike ride away from here at a semi leisurely pace. October was nearly racing, she kept a close eye on Anna though to make sure she was alright. But Anna just finished her water and began to play with her doll. Anna, having taken October's offer of taking all she needed went through the bags and found a thing of gummy fruit snacks.

Slowing down October stopped to go back and help Anna open it along with another bottle of water. Once the fruit gummies were opened October poured the water into the first sippy top bottle. The time flew after that and just as she was hitting the twenty minute mark she was outside the gates. The codes for all three were typed in slowly, she having memorized it because Sam had insisted on it, and then it was into the cooler hanger.

A man dressed in desert cammies paced back and forth. Bee had informed him of something happening with his daughter, just not what it was. October was laking, pushing the bike into the hanger when he noticed her. Anger swelled in him, did this girl have something to do with his daughter? If she laid even a finger on his precious little baby-

He ran up to her and lifted her up by the front of her shirt and slammed her into the hanger wall. Thwack! her head went against the wall. "Where is she, what did you do to her?" He hissed through tightly clenched teeth. This is why she didn't like human company. Or rather any company. people assumed things and in the end most times it was her that got hurt. Figuratively and literally. Mentally or physically.

The room seemed to spin and her eyes widened and her ear rang. He shoved her pretty damn hard. "Daddy!" little Anna cried happily, not realizing the danger her father posed to the girl that had basically saved her. William Lennox dropped October, who crumpled to the floor, and ran to his daughter.

As Lennox kissed his daughters face all around October forced herself up. She was going to be sick. she managed to get outside before nausea took over and she was on her hands and knees vomiting. Spots littered her vision and she had to sit back and she leaned against the wall.

Inside Anna told her father, as best as a three year old could, what happened. How mean Candice called her a brat, left her at the store. Then the nice girl saved her, gave her something to drink after Candy wouldn't and let her have a snack since Candy didn't want to. Guilt washed over Will when he realized he had attacked the girl that had saved his daughter.

Turning around he noticed she wasn't there anymore and became worried. Then relaxed, if she knew the codes to even get in then she would be fine with the Autobots. The sound of retching outside made him set Anna down. She went back to the seat that he had taken her from and withdrew a water bottle and a toy soldier. Looking outside he saw her lean back against the wall then he noticed immediately when she slumped and began to slide sideways. "Hey!" Lennox cried and moved to get to her.

But she bolted up right before grasping her head and leaning over. "Fuck, my head." Will helped her stand then into the hanger where them, and Anna, went into the second part of the hanger where the bots had been waiting. Anna ran to Ironhide who lifted her up in his hand. He didn't even notice the human girl that was on the verge of passing out again.

Ratchet did though. He scanned her and wondered how she got a concussion. It was a mild concussion but with the way Lennox was giving off guilty pheromones he had to wonder just what had happened. Shifting into his alternate form his holoform came to life and he helped Captain Lennox get her into the back of his vehicle. There, laying on the bed, she fell unconscious again.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five: Left Alone

October's head was pounding and she felt that while one eyes was closed the other was opened. Slowly the opened eye began to focus and the dark quickly vanished only to be replaced with a bright light. forcing her other eye to open the light went out and standing above her was a man who she did not recognize.

Her head turned to her right then left and she knew she was in something similar to an ambulance. As she tried to remember why the vehicle seemed familiar she felt a painful throb in her head. "October?" the male above her said and she looked up at him, her eyes narrowing as she tried to put a name to that face. "I am designation Ratchet." Ratchet? No, Ratchet was an Autobot. Wasn't he? Did she somehow hit her head too hard and imagine all of the giant robots? This lanky guy with dark brown hair and large round glasses could't be him. Though his bright yellow shirt, beneath the black jacket with reflective yellow around the waist and arms, reminded her of his coloring. "I need to know how badly you hit your head. If you could answer a few questions for me-"

"You're wrong." She said trying to sit up but only to have Ratchet push her back down. His face contorted into an expression of worry. "Why are you human?" Her hand reached up to her head and she could feel the large bump in the back. God, why did that guy have to hit her as hard as he had?

October watched as Ratchet's face flashed to surprise then he gave her a kind smile. "This is my Holoform. You remember about the Autobots?"

"Of course I do, a little bump on the head couldn't make me forget that shit." Slapping ratchets hand away she sat up but was also smart enough to not try and move more than that. Ratchet watched her not in the least bit amused. Lifting up a hand she waved it at him in a 'come on' guesture, "well? You said you had a few questions for me."

"What is your name and birthdate."

"My name is October Amy Williams. I was born August ninth nineteen ninety-four." Ratchet looked up the information and saw that she was correct, it didn't seem as if her memory was affected. Even so he asked her a few more questions. Her home address, simple addition problems, who her friends were. simple things like that so that he could see that nothing seemed wrong with her mind.

"Well, once you are feeling up to it you are free to go." Ratchet said once all of his questions had been answered and scans of her were completed.

"I don't really want to go anywhere, but I want to get out so that you're not cramped up with me in here." Ratchet didn't show it but he was grateful for that. As much as he didn't mind letting her stay here, she was right. After time spent in vehicular form the transformers do begin to feel cramped. He didn't know how Bumblebee did it for hours on end each day.

Ratchet's holoform helped October out then as he held her steady his body seemed to release and in no time he was standing tall at his height of twenty-five feet or so. "Would you care to rest in the med bay?" She realized nowt that the voice from his holoform was slightly different than his real voice. His real voice somehow sounded metallic, like there was a metal property in it while his holoform lack that property and was purely human sounding.

Ratchet kneeled and held out his hand. Then with the help of his holoform she got onto it. Once she was comfortable and safe the human form of his fizzed out and his robotic form stood tall. His fingers curled slightly to form safety bars that would keep her from falling to her death twenty feet below or so.

For the next few hours she just relaxed and watched as ratchet worked. It having been around lunch time when she got here meant that she missed that meal due to what had happened. Now it was nearing four in the afternoon and her body was not happy with the lack of food. The gurgling sound that erupted from her abdomen startled bother her and Ratchet.

Normally Ratchet would have kick her out hours ago but she had been so calm and silent that he didn't mind her being here. After so long he had nearly forgotten her presence all together so he had been startled back to reality by the sound her stomach had emitted. "Go child," he said as he lifted her up and brought her to the door, "you need to replenish your intake levels. The food distribution chamber is a few hallways down. Take the first right then second left and as you walk there will be a sign of the door."

October slid out of his hand, her head still throbbed from the jarring movement so she was glad she had not risked jumping, and waved good bye to him. Maybe after eating she would give Sam a call and see if he could give her a ride home. Or maybe she should be asking Bumblebee, he was after all the car that she would be riding in.

Either way, she probably just missed the first right that Ratchet had told her about. Or had this one been the sec left?

... "fuck," she grumbled realizing that she ahd been thinking too much and was completely lost. Whatever, she thought as she leaned against a wall and slid down. She was too tired to bother walking around much more. October just felt so weak at the moment and it irritated her. She wasn't the one that was supposed to need help, in any form at all. It was her that was supposed to help others. In her pocket something began to vibrate and the tune she had set for her ring tone went off.

Pulling the phone out she took a deep breath, "Hey Sam!" she said with false enthusiasm. "How did the date go?" She listened as her friend went off about how much fun they had had. The movies, eating out for lunch then walking around the park until they began a heavy make out session, then to diner and now that they were at his house they wanted to check up on her.

"Sounds like fun." October quipped as he began to explain, in detail, how Mikaela wanted him to call and check up on her after their day without her.

"So what did you do?" He asked then she hear him hiss in the background, idiot did cover the mouth piece of the phone well, "see, I asked her!"

"Oh uh, I was at the book store for a while." Sam made a joke about how she could spend a forever in the bookstore, "you know me," if you could count an hour as a 'forever', sure, she thought sarcastically. "I also picked up a few groceries I needed. Hey, you know Captain Lennox, right? Well I met him and his daughter," did him giving her a concussion count as meeting? Eh, close enough she figured. "Then I hung out with Ratchet for a while. He's pretty cool," if hanging out could be considered what had happened. Her holding the urge to expel her stomach contents all over the place. "Now?" she asked, catching only part of Sam's question. "Uh, I'm attempting to find the kitchen or whatever it's called. Then I'll probably head home. Sure, yeah, I'll give you and Mikaela a call tomorrow morning. Bye," she hung up the phone but made no move to do as she had told him she was. Finding food just wasn't worth it.

Her mind began to wander, and before she knew it her eyes closed and she sprawled out on the floor.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six: Fluffy Filler? Or Just a Filler?

October awoke with a kink in her neck and freezing. It took her a few moments to remember where she was. Wearily she forced herself up and looked around. Yup, just as she thought. Still no idea where she was or how to get out. The base was surprisingly big for such an unused place. honestly she thought half of these doors must have never been opened.

Well sitting around was doing her no good and she doubted she would nap again on the freezing floor. That was another thing. The floor was icy, but outside it had been in the mid nineties. If the concrete floor was this cold, which it was, that meant it was already night out. Hunger was nagging at her along with a tiredness she hadn't felt since she realized her family didn't love her but wanted all of the money her grandfather had left her.

Mindlessly walking she found a place she slightly recognized. That was only due to the sounds of a weapon firing over and over. The large doors to Ironhide's weapons room, October felt so proud that she remembered his name, and gave her a small chance to peek in. The large black bot stood in the center firing at none moving metal targets that light up. When one light up he fired at it before having to do a series of moves to hit the one that light up after it.

October found it oddly like a dance. His body never stopped moving and he was graceful with every turn he did and every move he made. He hit two more targets before lowering his guns. "What do you want fleshy?" Ironhide asked. Knowing it was the girl, whatever her name was, made him angry. Just the knowledge that little Anna had been abandoned where the 'Con's could easily get her made him upset. But knowing that it had been the fleshy femme behind him to save her made him angry because he should have been there. Instead he had been here sitting around.

Turning around he realized she had already left. He must have scared her away. But then he saw her peek back in from the corner of his optics. Turning he faced her and waited for her to say or do something, "I- I'm lost. Do you-" she swallowed heavily, "Do you mind if I stay here for a little while?"

Ironhide saw the fear in her eyes. "I was planing to leave and refuel. Would you like to come with me that way you can find your place?" October gave him a small smile that was forced. Had she actually wanted to stay with him and watch him shoot? Did he have a little fleshy fan? He reached her in five steps and reached a hand down to her. She hesitated but gave in and let him lift her up.

He was shocked that she was quivering so much. Was she honestly that scared? Did he terrify her that badly? It was not Ironhide that October feared. Just that she was sitting in, basically, a strangers hand. It had taken nearly all of her courage to ask to join him just so she wouldn't be alone. "Would you like to sit on my shoulder or stay in my hand?" he fully expected her to say his hand.

But shockingly she said shoulder. He had asked so he might as well actually let her up. Once she got on his shoulder she wedged herself between his left side of the hood and his face. Ironhide hade more than enough room to turn his head without crushing her so he didn't mind. After a short while he almost forgot she as there. What reminded him was her sudden weight against his face plate. Before he had a chance to yell at her Captain Lennox walked by. He had kept Anna here because he no longer trusted the babysitter and by the time Sarah was supposed to get out of her teachers meeting last night Anna was already dead asleep.

"Is she alright?" Will asked worriedly when he saw October slumped over leaning against Ironhide's face. Some of her hair had come out of her loose pony tail and hid her face along with the shorter face framing bangs.

Doing a quick scan of her Ironhide realized she was recharging. With how easily she fell asleep in what seemed like an uncomfortable position he figured it had been an unwilling recharge. Her body had quite likely forced her into a stasis lock for the night. "She is recharging. I am on my way to the med bay to let ratchet watch her. I heard that she had been hurt earlier."

Will's face contorted into a grimace and Ironhide wondered why. "You didn't hear how?" The only reply to that Will got was a grunt. "When she showed up after Bee had informed me of only part of the situation I attacked her. All I knew was that Anna had been left behind and that she was on her way here. When October," Ah, yes, that was the fleshy's name, "was late I was agitated and scared for Anna. I irrationally took it out on her. Slamming her up against a wall was most definitely not a proud moment of mine. Especially when I learned that she had basically saved Anna and had made sure Anna was good. Gave my baby her own water and snacks. And how did I repay her? By giving her a mild concussion."

Ironhide was shocked at this news. Will had acted like a Femme that had a child. It was in a Femme's programing to be violent if any danger comes towards their sparkling. Mechs were not nearly as aggressive as a Femme when it came to that. Perhaps human Mechs were. "I have not known you to act in such a way before Will."

"I know. I was terrified. With the knowledge that a 'Con could have easily gotten Anna, that i had trusted someone not worthy of that trust to watch over my child, I just attacked." The shame that Will felt was written all over his face.

"It's cool. I would have beaten the shit outta me too if I was in your position." A female said startling both males. October gripped whatever she could on Ironhide to keep from slipping off when he jerked. "Jesus man, trying to kill me? I fall from your shoulder I get more then a small bump on the head." Apparently October had woken up.

"October," Will said then heaved a weary sigh. He felt so bad for what he had done. Perhaps a reward was necessary? But he doubted she would take money, after all she didn't even seem to want to be repaid.

"Forget it. Like really forget it. And don't mention it to Sam or Mikaela. They would freak out." Leaning against Iron hides hood instead of his face she got comfortable again.

"Perhaps I can take you home then. Your folks must be worried by now." Will offered.

"Nah they haven't worried about me since I was fifteen." Silence ensued as Ironhide and Will thought over her words. Ironhide understood how sparklings of humans were treated up to what age and everything. At fifteen human years her creators should have been worrying about her and boys she would bring home. Even while at the equivalent fifteen years, an adulthood for the Cybertranian's already, their creators still worried for their sparklings. It wouldn't be until the equivalent of thirty years that creators stopped worrying so much.

Will was just shocked to know that she had no one at home. In his eyes she was still just a child. Nineteen may be a legal adult but not many kids left their parents at that age unless they were in college. Where were her parents? Her family?

While immersed in their thoughts October had dozed off again. Ironhide realized she was silent again and after doing a second scan knew why. Her slowed heart pace and evened breathing led him to knowing she had again fallen asleep. "I am going to leave her with Ratchet. I will bring you and Annabelle home tomorrow morning."

Ironhide and Will parted ways. Will to get to the room he was sharing with his daughter at this base, Ironhide to do as he had said then refuel.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven: Deceptions? No, Decepticons? No, Decepticon? Yes

October awoke the next morning in the med bay and she couldn't remember how. But pushing it off she moved to get up when she felt a tug at her arm. An IV drip was connected to her. Ratchet was over reacting just a bit, and that was only due to the extreme heat, so she removed it and put pressure on her arm. She better escape now or risk Ratchet's wrath.

She was on a shelf that was about chest height for some of the Autobots so to get down she found a set of stairs that was blocked by a small gate. Of course the gate had a key code but it was only waist high. Hoping over it left her slightly dizzy but she held on and then began making her way down the stairs. She had just made it to the bottom and was near the door when Ratchet walked in.

He walked right passed her so she made a silent and mad dash out the door then to where her bike would be. Hoping on she made her way out to the gate. just when she exited she could have sworn she heard Ratchet yelling at someone about something. Probably about her not only having left his med bay but the property.

Taking it slow she was home in about two hours where she proceeded to over exert herself. Bringing her supplies in then showering then four hours after having woken up finally gave her body the neutriants it needed. Tomato soup had never tasted as good as it did now. Just as she began todo her dishes, piled up from the past two days, the squeal of tires announced someones arrival.

Whoever it was burst through her front door and ran in calling her name, "October! Where are you? Are you here October?"

"I'm doing dishes, Sam." She called back. At this point she found doing the dishes more important than calming a frantic Sam. He would shake her and touch her until he was sure she alright. The shaking would be hell on her head and the touching was something she could always live without. When Sam nearly ran to her she turned around with a bowl filled with soapy water and he skidded to a stop. He didn't feel like getting soaked.

"Thank God," he sighed, "Bee said that Ratchet was tearing up the base when he realized you weren't there. I came here immediately because you never called this morning and-"

"Sam," October tried to interrupt but was, unsurprisingly, ignored by her teen friend.

"I started to think you were hurt,-"

"Sam."

"or that Decepticons had attacked or-"

"Sam!" She cried loudly and was considering pouring the soapy water on him if he didn't shut the hell up and listen to her. Luckily, for him, he quieted and let her speak, "I'm fine. I fell asleep at the base so my phone died and I forgot to plug it in. If it had been alive I would have called you and Ratchet probably would have called me to find me. It's just a simple misunderstanding." Simple her ass. Her phone was fully alive due to Ratchet having found a way to charge it in her sleep. She had completely forgotten about calling Sam, and sneaking out of the base was nothing that could have been settled over the phone.

"Oh." Sam said after a minute of silence where October let everything she had just said sink in.

"Yeah, 'oh'. Anyway whats a Deception?" Turning back to the sink was her way of telling Sam to make himself at home while she finishes hand washing the dishes and then put them in the dishwasher.

She washed them by hand and the dishwasher because she was afraid that doing it only one way would leave food and grease on the dishes. "Decepticons, not deceptions." There was an exasperated tone to Sam's voice that made October wish she hadn't finished washing the three bowls and put them in the dishwasher already. "They are the Autobot's arch enemies or whatever."

"Opponents. If they are fighting a war and it's the other faction than it's just opponents. If lets say Bee had one guy that he always fought and failed to kill it would be a rival or, in more dramatic terms, the arch enemy." October said off handedly while looking at a car parked outside in her neighbors back yard. It was just there. She had never seen it before, and she had done enough people watching in her time living here to know every car that her neighbors and their friends owned. "You said they were like the autobots, right?" Her eyes were locked on the cars emblem in the front. she knew it was a Porsche so why was the emblem...

"Yeah. They transform and have Earth vehicles too." Sam said as she put the last glass in the dishwasher and started it.

"The Autobots are a faction and they have a symbol on them to show that. The odd robotic decal that's on Bee's steering wheel." Sam nodded at her wondering what she was getting at as she spoke, "let's walk and talk shall we?" But she didn't say another word until she was in Bee's passenger seat with Sam in the drivers seat.

"Okay, what's going on, October?" Sam asked not putting the key into the car.

"Decepticons have a symbol very similar to the Autobot's one but it's more pointed and feline like." Bee revved his engine wondering how she knew that. October hadn't had an encounter yet and no one had talked to her about Decpticons until right now. "Like the emblem on that purple Porsche right there?" The Porsche had crept up her neighbors drive way to peek out at them.

Bee slammed into reverse and Sam and October both got a face full of dashboard. The nausea October had felt right after her second Lennox encounter, not the third with Ironhide, came back with a vengeance. If there was one thing October was good at in a car it was holding her bodily functions in. Large car road trips were no problem, the urge to vomit after Sam's crazy driving was slightly harder but she managed. So for the sake of not distracting Bee she held any urge to vomit at bay.

Her hands wrapped around the seat belt and pulled it on. Then she grabbed the 'oh shit' bar, as she called the handle above the door, and held on for dear life as Bee drive double the speed limit and made extremely dangerous turns and close calls with other cars. They reached the base in no more than five minutes with how the alien car drove, yet the Porsche hadn't followed.

The gates had only just opened as Bee drove passed then not slowing down. He spun and his door opened and he tossed the teens out. October spilled out and was pissed that the belt hadn't held her in. Then she knocked her already battered head against the ground and decided to lay there and hope to die before another hit to her pained head came.

Sam was having none of that and forced her to stand before running into the base dragging her. The moment he let go of her hand October went her own way having realized that she should have stayed in bed today. That was what she was heading to do. Finding the medical bay wasn't hard and she wearily climbed the stairs until she tired hopped the gate and then she fell into the uncomfortable cot.

Even with more head trauma she couldn't fall asleep but she zoned out and it was as good as she was going to get. That is until, to her greatest annoyance, her phone began to go off. The caller ID reported it being Sam. She should answer that, she really should. What with her head trauma and disappearing act someone was going to blow a gasket. In the literal sense due to the large majority of people being car like beings.

Her phone had been going off constantly for nearly an hour when Ratchet entered. His keen audio receptors picked up the sone her phone played every time Sam called. "Turn it off." Was all he said and she gladly obliged.

Ratchet, through internal Comm links, informed the other Autobots October was safe in the med bay resting. With a quick scan he also told them that unless they were injured he was locking down his med bay so the girl could rest. Her head trauma was bad. Not too bad but it hadn't gotten any better since the other day. She needed rest and that's what he was going to make sure she got.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay time to get off of my lazy ass and do this. Thanks to all of my reviewers. Bee4ever, Art-Dreamer, Alex-Maria-Johnson, and most of all Ninnasim3. You guys are why I'm continuing this story instead of beginning another and working on that one.

Chapter Eight: Filler Chapter 2

October dozed. She didn't exactly sleep while in the med bay, kind of hard when the mattress is as uncomfortable as a bed of rocks, but she did rest enough that when she could no longer stand the mattress she got up with no nausea. "Ratchet," she called but the doc bot was laying down and didn't move. He had turned the lights down a few hours ago and if she looked close enough, which she did, then she noticed that there was no slight blue hue lighting up from his eyes. Dude was probably asleep.

Hoping the gate again, it actually took talent hopping that and not falling to her death down the stairs, she made her way lazily down. The large robot sized door was shut and there was no way she could make herself believe she could open it. No way in hell. But there was a smaller human sized door at the bottom like a freaky human sized doggy door. It didn't matter that she didn't know the code for the keypad because some idiot left it open. If Ratchet found out about that someone was getting their ass handed to them.

The gurgling and painful twisting of her stomach made her decide to leave even if Ratchet didn't want her to. From here she knew part of her way around. She knew how to get to the entrance and from there to Ironhide. He was the only other bot besides Bumblebee and Ratchet she really know. Or rather only other one she wasn't afraid of. That and it was easier to find him.

Checking her phone she wondered why he was up firing his canons at nearly eleven at night. Peeking into his cracked door she watched as he performed his deadly dance again this night. When he stopped he looked directly at her and he lifted his right arm up while patting it with his left hand. "You like it?" Her face turned an alarming shade of red which put Ironhide on alert. Should he contact Ratchet?!

"They're cool. On you at least." Her red face started to lessen and Ironhide figured that she would be alright. "Though you keep catching me at the worst times," his deep voice made her shiver slightly when he chuckled, "I am heading to refuel then recharge." He came to her again and kneeled letting her get onto his hand then to his shoulder.

Silently they made it to the kitchen. Where Ironhide set her on a large Autobot sized table with several human sized chairs on it too. She took one and saw on a human sized table upon the large table a bowl of fruits. By the time Ironhide returned she was playing with a red apple. "Am I allowed to have this?" She politely asked him and he watched her for a minute. Most would have assumed they could eat the fruits on the table and didn't have enough manners to ask.

"Yes," he finally said when she looked ready to return the apple. Her shoulders seemed to sag and he ran a scan of her. her energy levels were very low and she needed to refuel like him. A water bottle landed in front of her startling her. Then Ironhide chuckled and set about sipping at his energon. He watched as she took small bites from the human fruit and sipped at her water.

A loud crackling came from his internal speakers and he winced. Ratchet wasn't happy if he sent static out. "Did she have the idiocy to leave again!" Ratchet yelled into the com at the only conscious bot, Ironhide.

Ironhide kept watching her as he sipped and replied to the medic without speaking aloud. "Calm your aft, Hatchet. She's right here replenishing her fuel supply." When the undertone of static lifted he continued. "She found me as I was finishing training and I brought here here. Once finished I will return her and not let her leave."

Ratchet calmed down more, "thank you Ironhide." was all the doc bot said before disconnecting communications and doing his own thing. When October took her last bite of apple and threw the core away in the small bin on the table Ironhide finished his own meal.

October yawned and stretched so Ironhide figured her low energy levels would force stasis lock upon her soon. "I'm going to find the med bay and rest now." she announced but looking around she saw no way to get off of the table.

"I will take you. I pass there on my way to my own charging berth." October was confused by 'charging berth' but she figured that it was where he rested. Charging like an electronic is what kind of gave it away. either way she accepted his lowered hand as her ride and held onto his thumb as he began to walk.

When she went slack in his grip he closed his hand just a bit more to secure her and keep her from falling. Her recharge had kicked in and forced her once again into a stasis lock. Trying the med bay door he was not pleased to find it locked and Ratchet's communications offline due to his own recharge cycle. Ratchet also would not be pleased if he just left October on the floor out here.

A beeping in the back of his mind alerted him to his own incoming stasis lock. Bringing the girl with him he entered his room and laid on the berth without bothering to turn his lights off. He curled the girl up on his chest above his spark chamber and covered her with a hand. She would be warm enough for the night.

His optics turned off and his metallic body relaxed as he shut down to recharge.

Offlined he felt no time pass so when Ratchet sent an alert to him he woke up feeling refreshed but had to check the internal time to figure out when it was. Five in the humans time, normally he onlined in another hour. Dismissing the alert that woke him he commed with Ratchet, "what the frag do you want?" his angry tone called to his friend.

Sensors booted up and his fans kicked on as her onlined further. The small and warm human body still upon his chest and beneath his hand hand moved in the night to change sides but that was it. October still peacefully slept on. "Where is my charge? Scans show you never returned her to her charging berth last night."

"How the slag was I to return her when your doors were locked?" Ironhide cut the communications off and carefully got up. Bringing october with him. If Ratchet wanted her so bad he could have her.

The halls were as silent as the night before due to no other bots being up yet. Once the other base's construction was finished soldiers would be back here then too. The second base was a decoy for the 'Cons so all of the soldiers had been sent there until it's construction was to be finished. Then some would return here while others would stay there for the sake of keeping the guise up.

Until then though it was only the bots and most onlined at seven. The soldiers would be onlining and shouting orders right about now too. Ironhide would miss this peace. No fleslings running around to worry about. His optics moved to look at the squishy in his hand and he couldn't help but think she wasn't too bad. At least she stayed out of under foot unlike the others. Not only that but she was polite. Also she liked his cannons.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine: Playing Games Gets Serious

October had not seen Optimus Prime before, well not close up save for the one time she passed his semi form. Now though she got a good look at- at his chest. She was sitting upon Bumblebee's shoulder listening to him chirp in a language she didn't know but with his jumpy attitude he was obviously in a good mood. Optimus Prime had walked up to them then and greeted them.

"Hello, October. Ratchet speaks highly of you as a patient," He said to her leaving her stunned silent. She had no idea how to reply to that and it seemed Optimus knew that too for he turned to her robotic friend. Over the passed week her head had healed and with her many trips with Sam to the base she and Bee had become quite close as friends. "Bumblebee, a few soldiers have shown up today and will be here for a few days. They have mentioned a lack of edible human food. Would you go into town and retrieve some." The words were formed as a question but the order in his tone was unmistakeable.

It was as plain as Bumblebee's distress at having been chosen to do this task. A whine having escaped his vocal's. his simple way of crying out like a child whining 'why~' to their parent. October withheld the urge to laugh as she sat upon Bee's small shoulder, well small compared to Ironhide's. The size difference between Bee and Optimus was enough to put the picture in her head of bee actually being a child compared to the Prime.

"I know using your holoform tires you but you must do this Bumblebee." Optimus urged.

"If that's the problem then I can go." October spoke up. When Optimus looked at her she tried to shrink back and hide behind Bee. But she over estimated his shoulder size and nearly fell. Optimus saved her by catching her and bringing her up to his eye level. "I- I mean if you're alright with that." Suddenly she was unsure about having spoken up at all.

Bee's happy chirps caught both people's attention. Once Bee knew that his leader and friend were listening he transformed into his alternate mode, as Ratchet had explained the other day along with many other things, and his drivers door flew open. It seemed to wave causing October to be confused and look up at the now chuckling Optimus Prime.

Their eyes, or rather her eyes and his optics as Ratchet had informed her (he had informed her of a lot of things as he locked down his med bay), met and he saw her confusion easily, "do you not see?" he asked even though he knew she didn't, "your friend wishes to go with you on this trip. Bumblebee wants to go to the store now."

Immediately October agreed and asked to be set down so she could ride with Bee. Her friend wanted to go out to the store with her so she was more than glade to go. Shopping never bothered her before, she got what she needed and maybe a snack or two. now though she read through five different bags of chips, many soda flavors, candy that she shuddered at the thought of, and not one thing of the healthy variety. Alas in the end she got the hundred dollars worth of junk food and watched it distastefully as the cashier rung it up. "Sleep over?" The female with a name tag of Ava asked. Her tone was bored and uncaring so October ignored the menial small talk and paid.

While October was not a food nut or health nut she could not fathom why a pound of gummy worms were necessary or how anyone would use three bottles of chocolate syrup. Carefully she loaded Bee's trunk with the bought- dare she even consider it food?- things. While someone was going to go into a sugar coma from all of this Bee would not get dirtied or sticky from any of it. Her packing made sure of that.

Back at the base once more she unloaded the shit and let Bee take it to the kitchen of sorts. The sound of a canon firing caught her attention and she grinned, would she finally see Ironhide practicing more than two or three shots. October made it maybe three steps before a large yellowish foot nearly crushed her. It had been carefully put so as to not crush her though and gain her attention.

There was the transformer she knew as Sunstreaker standing above her and his red twin brother behind him, Sideswipe flashed a small grin at her and waved. Hesitantly, though mostly shyly, she waved back to him then looked at his brother. "October, right?" Sideswipe said when he saw that his brother wasn't going to anything soon. October nodded at him, she knew so little about each individual bot that she gained false hope. False hope that was risen even more with his next words, "we're friends, right?"

Had any other bot been around, save for the other set of twins, they would have stopped what was about to happen. Any other bot, hell even other humans, knew that this set of twins didn't like any other being besides their own kind. Right off the bat they would have been suspicious of why the vain twins were associating with October. But she didn't know them. She was at a great disadvantage and her heart would be the one to pay the price. This was why they had come to her when the knew no other bot or human was around. With no one that knew them trying to stop them they could easily pull this off.

October though had grinned up at the twins. She had known the bots were different than most humans and wasmore willing to accept a new friendship with them like she had with Bee. Sure it took a few days for her and Bee to get on the friend level but after knowing sweet little Bumblebee she was more than happy to befriend more bots. "You think you can help us out? Ol' 'Hide wants us to scrub the weapons room tomorrow when he's out. But the problem is we just got waxed and we don't want to ruin it," Sideswipe left the sentence hanging.

"I- I can do it." October said hesitantly. Suddenly she wasn't so sure about their friendship. But what if they did want to be friends and as her friends really wanted this from her? She had to do it.

Bumblebee came back moments after the twins thanked her and left with saying they would see her later or tomorrow. October so confused by the twins let it go and decided that she needed to worry about Bee. He had mentioned something about a gaming system in a rec. center located in this base for bot bots and humans alike. He wanted to play a game against her. DDR possibly if she remembered correctly.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also I made DDR into a oneshot. remember how last chapter ended? Well I made that into a oneshot.

Chapter Ten: Slagging Slagged Slaggers! 

To Flowers-Can-Have-Thorns, who recommended this story to you? because you two had made my day!

To my Guest, glad you like both my G.I. Joe and this! Perhaps you could make an account or log in and we can talk? IDK lol

ANYWAY ONTO CH 10

The next day October showed up at the base but the codes had changed and there were two guards on duty, "we can't let you in miss. This is a secured military base. No civilians allowed." No matter what she said she couldn't get in. Trying to call Bee didn't help either so she asked for the guy that had slammed her head into a wall about a month ago.

"William Lennox, he's a captain or something." She said and the two exchanged looks before lifting their weapons.

"Ma'am, we will ask you one more time to leave or we will shoot." the guard at her right said and his finger inched towards the trigger.

"Alright!" she cried lifting her hands in the air, "just mention to the Autobots that you send an October Williams away at gun point though." The right guard still inched his finger closer to the trigger wil the left lowered his gun slightly. She obviously knew about the bots, but she could still be a 'Con or security risk.

"Jack, hold on. I'm going to call up Lennox. She knows about them so she's either telling the truth or a security risk." Left guard said.

"If she's a security risk we should just deal with her now." Jack's finger rested on the trigger and his thumb flicked the safety off. "If she was a friend of theirs then they would have mentioned her before. I say we shoot her then claim she tried attacking us for not letting her in."

October turned away from them and huddled into a small ball, her bike would do little to protect her but if her back was shot up then the bots would know she had not attacked. Jack pulled the trigger but from behind someone tackled him causing his shots to miss. Mostly.

"The hell you doin', Soldier!" The slightly familiar voice of William Lennox yelled as he held the soldier down. "Not only is she unarmed and trying to leave but she told you she knew me. You were to contact me if anything like this came up! You were even informed by the bots that they had a female friend coming today and to inform me or Optimus Prime if a girl came claiming to know them." Lennox took a pair of wire ties left guard handed him from the shack and tied the man's hands up. Pushing him off to the good guard Lennox made his way to October who was clutching her left arm. Through her tightly clenched fingers and down her limp left arm he could see the flow up blood. "Let's get you to Ratchet," Lennox cooed in his fathers voice.

Everytime Anna got hurt he would coo 'lets get mommy to fix this up.' and Anna would be more willing to sniffle her tears away and let her father bring her inside. Of course October was no baby girl with a 'boo boo' but she was in slight shock and was more willing to move with his soft tone. The gate clicked loudly as it tried to open and she tried to shy away from it. But with a hard grip on her shoulder Will led her inside to find Ratchet.

He forgot though how skittish some traumatized were about certain things. So when the metal door behind them slammed shut with a loud bang he was taken off guard when she ran. Bleeding and in a state of distress he knew he had to get her back but he already lost her. "Shit," he cursed running a hand through his short dirty blonde hair.

October had taken off like the hounds of hell were upon her heals. Her strong legs pushed her feet to cary her further away from the gunshot behind her, to safety. But safety wasn't really that. She entered a room silently to find her twin friends were already here. "I can't believe that human squishy!" Sunstreaker yelled out pissed off.

Him and his brother had convinced her to do this for them and she had stood them up. Sure they were just going to use her to get out of chores and punishments if they could but still. "Relax Sunny," Sideswipe tried to sooth his brothers anger, "maybe next time we will make her do something else. Not like she really matters enough to be mad over."

The large door she had entered through a crack opened fully and slammed into the wall. Behind her standing tall and menacing was Ironhide. Tears leaked from her eyes and Ironhide figured now was the time to pay her back for saving Anna. Angry and harsh cybertranian words escaped his vocals and caused the twins to flinch at their intensity. He was mostly furious that they had tried to skimp out on their punishment but he made sure to threaten to tell Optimus about their treatment of the human.

Finally in English he ended his tirade with, "get out before I slag you both!" The red and yellow Lambo twins raced from the room knowing that Ironhide would shoot his cannons so far up their afts that even Ratchet wouldn't be able to help them.

"They wanted to use me?" She asked looking up at Ironhide with large wet eyes. taking pity on her he lifted her up and let her sit in his servos. Nearly immediately with her lifted up he noticed her life fluid leaking out of her.

"Did they do this to you?" Ironhide asked shocked. He knew that they might hurt the humans on accident and not be upset about it but to hurt one on purpose-

"No." She quickly replied to quell his rising anger. "A guard outside shot me-" Ironhide marched off towards the doors to go shoot the fragger that had shot the human Femme. Femme's were to be loved and treated with respect not to be shot at. The fragger that did this was no better than decepticon scum. "C-can we just go to Ratchet?" October pleaded with him hoping that he would do as she asked.

Ironhide looked at her and she could almost feel the blue light that ran over her scanning her. While his scanning system was not nearly as intricate as Ratchets he was able to tell she was loosing blood and going into something the humans called shock. Once he deposited her with Ratchet he headed off to tell Optimus about the twins and let his leader decide what to do. He was to far pissed to deal out any punishment himself and knew that anything he did would be thought of ass too harsh on the prankster twins.

"October," Ratchet said trying to get her to pay attention but it didn't help. He'd been trying since Ironhide brought her in here and left. In that time he'd managed to stitch up her wound and wrap it without her even flinching. "What happened, October?" He mumbled more to himself than the girl in slight shock, "Ironhide just brought you in here and- October?"

She was looking at him now but her eyes were still far away. There was nothing different held done or said in the passed hour. Reciting everything he'd said in his head he realized there was one thing. comming the weapon specialist he requested he come to the med bay at once. Ratchet's purposely vague message had Ironhide at the med bay in nearly no time at all.

"What happened?" Ironhide asked and Octobers head snapped to him. Her eyes were still cloudy but they were less than before. Ratchet wasn'lt going to tell the weapons specialist that he had called him hear because at the mention of his name she had showed some sign of life.

Instead he went with the best next thing, "I need you to tell me exactly what happened."

"How the frag am I supposed to know? I go to get a weapon from my training room and those slaggers Sideswipe and Sunstreaker are talking about how they had wished to use a human to get out of their chores. She's there already bleeding and she's the only human that doesn't know about those two." Ironhide finished his tale and Ratchet sighed. Ok so that explained nothing. Just what may have caused her shock to escalate to this level, emotional trauma by two she thought were friends.

"The guard at the shack shot me." her voice was unexpected and caused Ratchet and Ironhide to jump, his weapons systems automaticaly booted up but he didn'lt shoot. October had flinched at the sight of his cannons but when he didn't shoot her she figured she was his friend so why would he shoot her? He saved her from the twins, saved her from bleeding out, and had been kind to her ever since she met him really. "Mr. Lennox dealt with that though." Her eyes began to droop and she began to associate this place with bad things happening to her.

Her original concussion, Bee making it worse, getting shot, then the twins. But there was also good, she told herself. Bee was her friend. Ratchet wasn't bad. Ironhide had saved her. She'd made three friends here. More than she had in the passed nineteen years of her life. So the downs were totally worth the ups.

Unconsciousness stole her mind into it's black abyss causing her to basically shut down. Trama caused too much for her mind to want to keep up with, go figure.

Ratchet was close to her so when she began to fall forward he managed to get her to lay back. Perhaps he should just lock her in the med bay for the rest of her life, she seemed to be here hurt enough that there would be little difference.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven: Pain and Healing

With no amusement at all October didn't need to think about where she was. The pain in her arm was more than enough to give away that this morning hadn't been a dream. Sitting up gave her slight head rush and she saw spots for a minute before it calmed down and she was good again. A small table, new addition since she was here last, was sitting a few feet from the bed with a bottle of water and a roll on it. As much as she wished to answer her gurgling stomach and drown her burning throat she didn't try to get the items.

Ratchet had been unnoticed before but as soon as he spoke up October figured she should have known. "Your body is crying for the refueling on the table why do you not get it?" he got off of the recharging berth he had been resting on and walked over to her shelving unit. Once there he pushed the rolling tray table to her bed and she gratefully took the water and nearly downed it.

"Because," she finally said as she set down the empty water bottle, "I knew the moment I stood I'd either pass back out, or throw up. More than likely I would have vomited." She began to eat the roll. it was a plain roll, no butter or anything.

Ratchet was silent as he looked up the new terminology she had given him. His optics had slightly dimmed before brightening back up and he looked at her like she had grown a second head. Why would humans ever have the need to expel their refueling necessities? What did it come back as considering they bit and chewed their fuels?

October ate in peaceful silence and she watched Ratchet as he turned to go to a desk. He looked back at her a few times as she nibbled at the roll before he figured she was going to stay put. As dizzy and lightheaded as she was she still risked hoping that stupid gate and going slowly and quietly down the stairs. Arriving at the human sized door she tried the handle only to grimace when it turned out to be locked. Angrily she tugged at it and nearly slammed it into her face.

Her brown orbs were wide in shock and her heart had skipped a beat. Trying to figure it she had to only just glance at the duct tape over the inside part to know what happened. Apparently the soldiers were as displeased at being locked in here as she and had made sure the door wouldn't lock. Their robotic medic would never see the tape of think of it considering he was alien in naturre.

Slipping out she kept her pace at a fast walk but not quite a run. Where could she hide and rest but net get caught by Ratchet? A booming sound that nearly gave her a heart attack due to fear the stuck high made her look at a door she was just passing. Ironhide's training room. With her now great fear of being shot that's one place no one would expect to find her. It would also be nice to see the bot that had saved her too.

On shaky legs she entered the room to find Ironhide tampering with the canon. His left finger was whirring as she tightened something on his right mounted canon. She didn't know about the many sensors around the room or she would have spoken up before entering (or rather not entered at all). October walked through an invisible sensor and came nearly face to face with a canon. But of course canons didn't have faces.

Painfully her heart sped up as she looked down the glowing blue barrel of Ironhide's right canon. Nearly immediately upon seeing who it was he turned the safety on his canons on and let them shift into his body. October shook so badly that he didn't say anything but picked her up in one hand and ran a finger of his other down her back. The soothing motion was one used often to calm sparklings down. He had considered calling Ratchet but figured she had sneaked out of his care. Going to the large desk that had an Ironhide sized chair and was cluttered with many weapons he worked on he set her down and sat himself down.

Not knowing what to do with the wide eyed terrified girl he began to work on tinkering with a hand cannon of Ratchets. Just as he removed a plate to get to the many wires inside and fix a loose one October moved. "What-" her voce had cracked so she cleared it and began again, "what are you doing?"

This time her voice didn't break but Ironhide ignored her. He was only being nice to her because he pitied her. That's what he kept telling himself. But he knew it was something else, pity would not make his spark pinch like it had upon hearing the twins' words or nearly explode with anger upon hearing that she was shot by one of their soldiers.

"Scram," he said when he finished tightening the wire he had been searching for. Picking her up he scanned her as he set her onto the floor. Even though he told her to get he figured she may be back sometime and he didn't wish to repeat this accident. Saving her bio signature he set his sensors to recognize her and alert him to it being her.

October was only slightly put off. she had figured that he actually wasn't her friend but upon seeing his canon come back out she smiled. He was probably trying to be considerate and chase her off before he struck fear into her a second time that day. Hiding outside of his door she managed to not flinch any more after his third shot. Others shooting might be a different story; but she was no longer afraid of him having a canon.

Him nearly shooting her earlier had put a seed of fear into her but after now it was gone. Maybe she wouldn't have a problem with the bots having weapons. Though she was positive she would flinch for a while to come at any human guns. She had no fear of Ironhide shooting her, after all he had a perfect chance to before and had managed to keep the blast from firing.

Weariness took over her and she entered the main hanger to find Mikaela and Sam talking in slightly hushed voices. The second Mikaela saw her she rushed over bringing October into a bone crushing hug. "Let's get you home, you poor thing."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve: Relationships Suck Ass Hardcore When They Are Your Friends.

October crept through the base, once again avoiding Ratchet. The splinter in her finger wasn't painful. Anymore. She had howled like a baby at first upon receiving it, because let's face it splinters are in the top three right below paper cuts in pain, and when he had told her to calm down so he could remove it she bolted. Ran right away from his transforming body to escape the soon to be formed holoform.

Now, after a good ten minutes, her finger barely throbbed. Ratchet had been lost nearly immediately due to her speed and ability to fit through doors seconds before they were closed. He had to waist precious time and momentum to type in key codes for several of the doors she had slipped through. Her arm was better after the passed two days but it itched like all holy hell.

Her week hadn't been a good one. Getting shot, the twins, Sam deciding to go to college her bike tire popping, falling down steps and scraping her knee, Mikaela and Sam fighting and thinking about breaking up, then finally the splinter. Right now all she wanted was peace and to be left alone.

A thundering 'Boom!' caught her attention and she grinned. Ironhide! She liked hanging out around him when Bee was busy taking Sam or Mikaela around like he was today. Looking at her slightly pained pointer finger she found the tiny wooden splinter's location. After looking around to make sure Ratchet was no where near she bit her finger and managed to pull the splinter, just a bit of skin, out and spat it away. That was done.

"Hi, Ironhide!" She called as she entered his training room. This had happened the passed two days too so he just ignored her. But after her initial greeting, it being her way to alert him to her presence and not turn his cannons on her, she stayed silent and watched him train.

October didn't know about his sour mood today.

Ironhide along with Optimus was in no good of a mood. In a month or so more bot's would be coming to land. While that is normally good news, it is not so much due to his personal relations to one a certain femme that would be arriving. A long time ago they had had a good relationship. Friends then lovers, considering to be spark mates, but when she told him she wished to not have sparklings (even when the war was over for she was much to happy fighting to want to take care of a child) their relationship had turned sour. Breaking up had helped only so much and Ironhide had a deep loathing for her. He liked fighting and training as much as the next bot but he also longed for a sparkling of his own.

Optimus was much the same. But it was the fact he was too busy fighting a war while his love interest wanted to run away, go AWOL and live like that. Knowing that they abandoned their friends and family to death. He had refused and due to her hurt at being denied the pleasure of no more fighting she hurt him in a way that was unforgiveable. She created a bond (while not as strong as a spark bond) with another. The one she bonded with died nearly right after the bonding but the damage and betrayal to Optimus was done.

Now they had word that they would be landing here on Earth soon. No matter the millennia that had passed the hurt and betrayal by the femmes was still there and would always be there. Chromia and Elita-1 had made their choices and they could not be undone. Their other femme friend, Arcee, was still friend with both the mechs and femmes. Neither cared that she was friends with the 'enemy', they all values their friendly relationships too much to care about that. Besides, Arcee was spark bonded with Cliff Jumper. A missing, Cliff Jumper.

But that news, and all of that old pain, was once again new. The news of their arrival, along with a few others, had brought it all back up just a few hours ago. Ironhide was not very partial to the human race. He could see all of the wars they fought against their own and in those wars he saw Cybertron's war. He hated it and thought they were stupid for it. The fleshies were going to kill themselves and their home. he had no home, how could they treat theirs as they do?

With all of the anger, pain, and just plain tiredness, he turned on October. "How many times do I have to tell you, fleshling! Get out! Frag off! Find some other slagger to piss off!" Though he would not shoot her, if not because he did consider her a tolerable fleshy than because of Optimus order, his cannons light up brightly with life and whirred loudly. Ironhide was in one of the worst moods he'd been in since he had gotten here on earth. Even worse than when he had thought Jazz dead, and that had been a right foul mood.

October clenched her hands. Not in anger but in pain. Emotional pain. Bowing her head she skittered away from Ironhide and once in the hall made a mad dash for the hanger where she left her bike. The tears would only stay back for so long and she did not want to look weak in front of any of the bots, let alone Ironhide!

Reaching her bike she held back any sniffles she had wanted to let out and unhooked the carriage she always had. Her bag and everything was always put in there so she could freely ride without being uncomfortable. Now though she left it at the base and tossed her bag into it too. Taking off the guards at the gate opened them for her and she just kept going. None of her normal pleasantries were given to them and immediately the two soured. Who had hurt their friend? For after Jack had been replaced the new guy and Ryan always greeted her and they talked nicely.

October had hoped her bad week, that was now finally catching up to her, would be over soon enough. She had hoped but apparently it was not to be. In her dispair she had biked half a mile passed her house and had to turn around. Then she realized her door was locked, keys left in her bag at the base. The spare key was not where it belonged. Her phone was missing though it was probably hanging out with her keys and bag.

Pissed at herself, feeling like such an idiot and asshole, she kicked her door. Her steel toed boots left a small dent and her toes throbbed. "Fuck!" she cried out and sat down to curl into a ball. Please just let this nightmare end! She begged in her thoughts.

But as far as nightmares go, it wasn't over yet.

Sam's second car, a back up provided to him for if Bee had a mission to go on, screeched to a halt. "Why are you such a bitch about it!" Sam yelled at Mikaela who got out of the passengers side as he got out of the drivers side. "I don't want to wait till next year! I want to do it now and get it over with!"

Mikaela had looked shocked and hurt when he called her a bitch. But as soon as he said something about waiting and next year she had gone so red in the face that even through her own depression of sorts October had to hide a laugh with a cough. Mikaela had reminded her of Tinkerbell from Peter Pan when angry.

That small cough got both new people to look at her. Mikaela gritted her teeth and Sam scowled. Both walked up to her and she froze, looking at them wide eyed. "Pick." Sam said and Mikaela looked like she wanted to stab him.

"She'ls my friend, Sam. The only reason she ever met, let alone spoke, to you was because of me." Mikaela hissed at him and October went wide eyed. This wasn't heading where she thought it was, was it? Please, no, "right, October?"

"Please, all you do is use her. October do this, October do that. She's my friend not yours. Right, October?"

Bitting her tongue she just looked at the two people with wide watery eyes. their bickering started again and the accusations flew 'you made her cry', 'no it was your fault', 'everything is always my fault, isn't it', 'October tell her-', 'October tell him-' 'October-', 'October!'

OCTOBER, OCTOBER, OCTOBER!

Why can't they just shut up! She had nothing to do with this! All she wanted was to be left alone! Couldn't they see that? Just go. The. Fuck. Away! she screamed in her head before running off of her small three step porch, nearly tripping and falling again, and running off.

Her legs carried her back to the base, not knowing where else to go, and the guards let her in without a word. Knowing she was still upset and the choked sobs that forced their way from her burning lungs attested to that. Not knowing where she was going she ended up in an extremely large hanger where the bots recharged in their alt modes due to the construction or rooms going on still. First car she saw she got into.

The large black Topkick had not clicked in her mind as Ironhide. She climbed into the back seat and sobbed. Her breaths were ragged and she used her shirt to wipe snot and tears from her face. This entire situation was upsetting her and she didn't know how to handle it.

Ironhide had realized his words moments after October had left but did nothing about it. He was currently too emotional and to confront her may lead them both to being even more upset. Instead he left to go recharge. He had been in stasis no longer than ten minutes when a human tugged his door open and slammed it shut.

Anger coursed through him, how dare any fleshy touch let alone get in him. Worse, they had hurtfully tugged his door open and caused even more painfully slammed the door shut again. He was going to painfully extract the human if he had to.

Headlights flickered to life and the rays hitting each other caused his holoform to come to life, that isn't how it really happened but more of what it looked like. In front of the Topkick stood a rugged dark haired man with bulging muscles and bright blue eyes that were aflame with anger. Ironhide's holoform walked around his body and his form sank lower. Through the now non tinted windows, he had turned the tinting down to give the human a hint of what was to come, he saw a mass of auburn hair.

October? He questioned within his mind. Curiosity made him loose most of his anger, but the dull throbbing that was caused by the door reminded him she had been non too gentle and needed to be reminded of her place. Besides she should have asked before entering, it was, after all, his body she had climbed into.

Pulling his non hurt door opened he opened his holoforms mouth to yell at her, but his voice dies the moment he saw her puffy red eyes. She leaked lubricants from them along with her nasal passage, a quick three second search provided him with more questions than answers. It seemed she was crying. But there were many types of crying, was she happy, angry, sad?

Had he been the one to make her cry? Alarms shot off in his processor and spark at that thought. Pictures of people crying made him realize she was indeed filled with sorrow and pain. Gently he shut his door after his holoform flickered out. Once against eh windows tinted and the audible sound of his locks clicking shut reached her ears.

"What is wrong, Little Spark?" He asked her through his speakers, not even realizing his nickname for her. "October?" he said again when she was silent.

Her sobs only grew more intense and he stiffened, did he say something? Thinking quickly he remembered the CD she had asked him if he could download for her one day. Of course he had made Jazz do it rather than he but he remembered it. So the soft voice of Ingrid Michelson began to play softly. "I just wanna be ok, be ok, be ok; I just wanna be ok today," the woman's voice called out and Ironhide slid a seatbelt over October.

Guilt from earlier began eating him up. "I'm sorry about earlier, Little Spark," he said the name and knew it felt right.

"I-" October sniffled then took a breath and held the sobs at bay, trying to calm down, "I- sorry about your door. I wasn't thinking." She moved to unbuckle the seatbelt and leave, she didn't want to bother Ironhide with this show of weakness after all.

"Hush, Little Spark, do not worry about it. I hardly felt it. Rest for now, it will be getting dark soon and we have both had a tiring day." He monitored her for a minute before he began to once again shut down his processes.

His audio receptors were the last to go, but he heard her loud and clear, "Thank you, Ironhide."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen: Bonding By Accident

Ironhide had been awake from his recharge for an hour but refused to move. Asleep in his backseat was October still. He did a quick scan of her, and while his were much less advanced than Ratchet's, he was easily able to tell she needed more recharge still. Inside of him the sounds of soldiers training, a set of intolerable twins (both of their names starting with an S), and even the roars of vehicle engines could not penetrate. October slept in peace.

Ratchet had taken notice of Ironhide's awake but unchanging and unmoving form. When he tried to comm his old friend and there was no reply he feared that something had gone wrong. Having already been in his bipedal mode Ratchet walked over to Ironhide and was about to knock on his when smoothly the black truck backed up and Ratchet's servo missed.

Hoping Ironhide would shift into his normal form or comm him was useless. Ironhide just sat there idling his engine. Now extremely worried Optimus took notice too. "Ironhide, old friend, talk to us." He asked in his deep and authoritative tone.

But still there was no reply from Ironhide. They should have put one and one together by now. Bee had come in hours ago sulking because Sam and Mikaela had fought, his friend was missing, and his elder mentor (Ironhide) had ignored him. Ironhide had begun ignoring everyone around the time october had gone missing, according to Bee that is, and he too was friends with October. If they couldn't have figure out or guessed that October was in him, they should have at the very least suspected he worried about said missing girl.

Instead they had thought virus. If Ironhide could not transform then he could easily end up dead. If not from the virus itself then from a battle in this damned war because he could not shift and save himself. Sharing a plan with Optimus via a private comm link Ratchet put the plan into motion. he looked like he was heading out to leave while Optimus began trying to get Ironhide to speak. Ironhide noticeably focused on his leader and let a sigh slip out from his grill.

Ironhide was perfectly fine but with a lot of his attention on maintaining his sensors, keeping his internal space muted so no sounds got passed his soundproofing, and watching October he had little attention left to making sure his Comm and own voice would not permeate the sound proof barrier. So until he was sure she was rested enough he was set on not speaking.

Or so he had hoped and planned. He was focused on too many things at once that his sensors- having been only set to notice Decepticons- missed someone sneaking up on him. In their alternate modes all Cybertranian's, 'Bot's and 'Con's alike, had a default like switch that would force them into their bipedal mode. Ratchet being their Medic knew this well. He had put much time in figuring out where exactly that switch was so that in an emergency no time would be waisted on scanning for it.

Ironhide's was the latch that would connect a trailer to his alternate mode. All Ratchet had to do was hit a small, but not too small, button and pull at the same time. It would force Ironhide to shift from his alternate mode no matter what virus infected him. His plan was simple. Optimus would try to get Ironhide to speak or comm and Ratchet would creep up from behind and get the switch. If Ironhide was alright he would easily notice before hand and they would have nothing to worry about. A virus could knock out his sensors and Ratchet would be able to make it upon him and get the switch thus making the switch a necessity.

Ratchet got the switch and moved away quickly. He figured Ironhide would be violent when in a forced transformation. Right he had been. Ironhide had swung very violent at the medic even before his shifting was finished. "Frag!" Ironhide cried and his bulky hands roamed his body, feeling and searching for something. "Scan me, find her!"

With those words Ratchet and Optimus became greatly confused. Ironhide seemed to be frantically trying to pry his chest plates open but to no avail. He knew the moment the transformation had begun but it was too late. If he had transformed on his own he would have been able to dictate the moving parts whereabouts until they were in place, that would have made sure October ended up in a servo. Now though his parts had moved where they felt like and the girl was not in his hands. A scan of himself showed her to be in his chest area but he could not force his chest plates open.

"There's an organic compound near your spark chamber!" Ratchet cried in shock and fear, if whatever it was touched the spark it could easily offline Ironhide! "What was inside you!?" He began a more detailed scan to figure out how to get it out without damage to his comrades spark.

"Who! You slagger! October was resting in me!" Every bot in the vicinity heard his booming roar and looked over to see Ratchet even more frantically trying to open his friends chest plates. He had even gotten Optimus to lend in his strength to try and force the plates open.

Pain forced Ironhide to cry out and fall to his knees and the two bots let go of him. A scan update showed that October's organicness had moved closer to the spark and was possibly touching it. Ironhide's optics widened but at the same time dimmed. Ratchet fearfully scanned him thinking his friend was in severe pain and close to offlining.

Instead he saw the pain sensors diminishing (all of his pain had been from ratchet and Optimus) and in it's place a pleasure began to bubble up. Not sexual pleasure but contented pleasure. The pleasure that left a person to lay lazily on their bed and smile softly. The pleasure of a bond forming. Scanners began to beep at Ratchet in warning. October's heart rate was spiking and she moved. Oh God, she was waking up inside of Ironhide!

Panic set in full forced in Ratchet as he took out what looked like a USB and plugged it into a port in Ironhide's neck. Blue optics blazed close to white before turning off completely and his body fell nearly lifelessly as his chest plating opened up. The virus Ratchet had uploaded into the weapons specialist was made for medics that needed to do emergency spark operations where the plating would not open due to security reasons.

Reaching in quickly he grabbed a terrified October and removed her quivering body. She was so confused it wasn't funny. All she had known was falling asleep distressed in Ironhide's back seat. Now she was waking up inside of the mech. perhaps she should just stay away from the base, none of this confusion had happened before coming here. The poor girl felt like giving up and hiding in her closet for the rest of her life!


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG EPIPHANY TIME! So like a creeper i am stalking the Bee archives (Because i just love- note the sarcasm- re reading the movie 5000 thousand times with Sam's added sister -like literally thats all bee has: movie plot with sam's sister) and its three am. I read the lubricating scene with Mojo and realize they were kind of (probably not) foreshadowing to bee lubricating Simmons. Then i realized, do the bots need to piss? like they have the ability as shown in the movie but not one of the fifty thousand fanfics (save for plot bee) have had any of the bots lubricating! ...its 3 am leave me alone! Oh and if you can guess whats up with Jazz (I.E. how he survived and why he's doing what he is in this chapter) I will give you a preview of his story, Optimus', or Barricade's. One of them or a preview of a second story idea entirely for Ironhide. OR a future preview between this October and this Ironhide :) Offer is up for the first person to get it or closely get it.

Chapter Fourteen: Relaxing Begining

Flowers-Can-Have-Thorns, what part was it that made you nervous? Was it a good or bad nervous, like the 'oh man, such a sue story/too early to bond etc' or nervous like 'oh shit! what's gunna happen next!'? And yes I agree, stupid Ratchet. Too fearful for his friend he screwed up. lol. Good emotional like OMFG IF YOU GO ONTO HIATUS WITH THIS STORY I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN or the ugh! do i want to continue or not?

Bee4ever, I know, right? Originally that chapter was going to be a break from drama but then my own personal drama happened and boom. Cross your fingers for some relaxation time this chapter. Okay so not as much relaxation time but not nearly as much going on as the other chapters.

Ironhide awoke on a berth in Ratchet's medical bay. his chest plating hurt but a diagnostics scan showed that everything was fine. But, why did his plating hurt and how did he end up here? Last he remembered was scanning October to see how she was and she had still needed a few hours of rest. Worriedly he took notice that part of his memory bank had been deleted due to a virus.

Ironhide was about to sit up when he noticed a heat sensor going off. On his chest plating above his spark chamber was a small heat signature that was not his own. Doing a more in depth scan he realized it was October and she was well rested. Actually she was only in a light doze. "October," Ironhide said aloud. His baritone voice startled the poor human into awareness and she would have fallen off of his chest had ratchet not been alerted to Ironhide waking as soon as he began onlining.

Ratchet's sensors had alerted him the moment Ironhide had began to regain consciousness. So by the time Ironhide had called out to his little human and made her nearly ump off of him, Ratchet's finger was already supporting her. "Nice of you to join us once more, Ironhide." There was no time for Ironhide to reply because Ratchet picked up October and brought her to the door, "scurry along, youngling. Bumblebee has been worry about you since yesterday."

October was slightly disheartened not to be aloud anytime with Ironhide. She had many questions for him but also wanted to thank him for the other night. "Why can I not stay for a few more minutes?" she asked Ratchet with wide eyes, he knew that part of the sorrow that clouded her eyes was due to the bond. But the thing was; the bond only intensified her emotions towards Ironhide. Her sorrow for leaving Ironhide was real but just intensified several fold.

"I need to do several scans and tests to make sure he is alright," Ratchet said, telling her only half of the truth. Yes he did need to do those scans, but he also didn't want to mention the bond in front of her. "Go calm Bee down, then if Ironhide is up to it i will send him to you."

October left Ratchet then. She still shot sad glances over her shoulder at him but the medic was mostly immune to those looks. It was just, those eyes. Large puppy brown orbs, that had a teary shine to them that nearly broke his spark, kept looking back at him. He had to close the door before he gave in and allowed her to stay. His mouth plates twitched knowing that Ironhide would have gave in, even without the bond. The old lug nut was a big softie at spark. With the bond Ironhide may have been inclined to let an energon tear slip.

Ratchet hoped he would never have a bond like that. Never would he allow a femme, let alone a fleshy femme, near his spark. Personally he liked being 'Old Hatchet', though no one would ever get him to say that aloud. "There is much I must tell you, Ironhide. First is about your spark-"

October headed away from the med bay and towards the hanger that most of the bots hung out in unless they were away form the base. At the moment the only ones away from the base were the new guy (mirage or image or something like that), and the set of twins that were a sore spot for her. Entering the hanger she spotted Jazz and wondered why he was always rubbing the spot above his spark chamber. Before she could even consider asking him Bee was suddenly there lifting her up.

"I'm alright, Bee," October said when he scanned her. She wished to reassure him but was still wanting to return to Ironhide. What sounded like a curious chip escaped her yellow and black friend and caught Jazz's attention. The twin idiots (Skids and Mudflap) were too into their argument against each other to notice or care.

"What was that lil' man?" Jazz questioned Bee even thought the younger scout was taller and scanned her himself. "You should mention 'at ta Ratchet. Is it yous?" Bee shook his head at Jazz's inquiry and scanned October again. She grimaced and became worried. Was something wrong with her? Had somehow ending up near Ironhide's spark messed with her? October did feel any different.

More mechanical chirps came from Bee. Jazz's visor seemed to dim and it even tinted darker. He seemed to be focused on something and his hand rased up and rubbed his chest in the same place as before. Could the bot's get heart burn? The thought left her head when she felt her heart speed up. Looking towards the hallway that she had came out of she waited and Ironhide came out. He was lost in thought but he must have known that someone was watching him because he glanced over at October.

His optics glowed brighter and he turned to look away. October's heart felt like it was breaking, had she done something wrong? Was her somehow ending up inside like blasphemy or something? Eerily he looked at her with a soft look that held so many apologies. Right now he just couldn't deal with her. She felt his sorrow in her own heart and she couldn't help but clutch her shirt above it. What had she done?

Horror washed over her when she thought that her ending up in him, so close to his spark, was the equivalent of raping him. She knew how important their sparks were, how personal it was to see one let alone be close to it. Had she- a sick feeling washed over her and Ironhide's head whipped around to look at her again, his own horror written plainly for anyone to see. But everyone was busy so no one noticed it.

How could she have done something like that to her friend? She was a horrible being! October- her heart softened and she calmed down, it wasn't her fault. Ironhide didn't blame her. Couldn't blame her. He was just confused not angry at her. His own feelings were mixed due to his last bonding- what was a bonding?- and he was just not sure what to think let alone do.

October didn't know how she knew this but something in her accepted it and her mood lifted. "Hey Bee, wanna give me a lift home?"


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen: Relaxing. Pfft, As If.

Sitting at home October didn't know what to do. She was antsy. Leaving the base had seemed to be a good idea but now she just itched to go back to Iron- er, go back to the bots. A wave of panic washed over her but she didn't know why she was panicking. Subconsciously her hand rose and rubbed at her chest above her left breast. It itched! Holy hell did it.

She pulled her hand away before her nails scratched too much. Already there were small lines forming and dripping blood. Why the hell did it itch so much? No! Bad hand! She tore her hand away again. A wave of relief washed over her but she caught her hand moving back to her chest again and she was slightly freaked.

Breathing slowly she relaxed and her hand fell, and stayed, at her side. Perhaps she should continue that nap Ironhide had woken her from when- Her fucking hand! That was it! Going to her bathroom she grabbed her nail clippers and hesitated, she worked really hard to get her nails this long. Putting her clippers back she grabbed large bandages and covered her fingers with them.

Well, she was here already so she might as well shower. Stripping she didn't worry about her nudity, she was after alone. Right? Turning the water on she tested it before stepping in. Her shower curtain was a deep and solid red to match her mat, toilet cover, and curtains. Just as she grabbed her shampoo the shower curtain was torn back and she screamed for all her vocals were worth.

Panic, fear, and horror nearly crippled Ironhide. He knew it was not his own. It had to be October's, their bond was oddly strong for being newly formed. Ratchet had hypothesized it had started before but hadn't been strong enough to make a connection until she had touched his spark. It would have had they hung out a few more months to a year but Ratchet had accidentally sped the bonding process up.

Just as Ironhide got ready to transform and race to save October anger pumped though his veins but had died down so his own emotions were in control. One word rang out in his processor and he knew that it was October, her thoughts and emotions of anger were focused solely on one person. Mikaela.

Mikaela who had sneaked up on October and nearly gave the poor girl a heart attack. "I'm sorry," Mikaela apologized not only about now, but about yesterday too. It hadn't been right of her to do that to October. "Come on, let me make it up to you." She thrust a blue towel at her shivering friend, who was trying to cover herself vainly. They both had the same parts, though Mikaela's breasts were bigger.

Taking the towel October hopped out of the shower she hadn't had the chance to enjoy and turned the water off. Looking around she spotted a bag on the sink and looking in she raised an eyebrow. That was Mikaela's big idea of making it up to her? "Absolutely not, Mikaela. You know I don't know how to-"

"Just shut up and pull it on!" October sighed, she was going to. Why shouldn't she? Mikaela was her friend after all and she wished to please her friend- No! Something in her seemed to scream. She did not need to give in like that. It wasn't only her friends that mattered, she did too. So if she didn't want to than she didn't have to. Whatever had reared up and made her feel like that backed down and she was shocked to feel relieved. She was right, if she didn't want to she didn't need to. Her feelings and wants mattered too!

"No." She said loudly though the door, but then immediately she felt meek and quickly added, "at least not today." Silence greeted her from the other side of the door and she became worried she had offended Mikaela. "Mik-" The door slammed open and Mikaela put her hands on Octobers face, first her cheeks then head. After a few second of being on her head they moved to her wrists. "What are-"

Mikaela shushed her and she shut up. Today was so weird.

"You're pulse rate seems about right, you don't feel like you have a temperature. You should lay down though, you're not yourself." Mikaela dragged her away from the bathroom towards her room, wait so Mikaela thought- "we can go later. Rest now."

She wasn't sick though! Just because she finally voiced that she didn't want to do something did not mean she was sick. In the back of her head, behind her pouting feelings due to Mikaela babying her, she was greatly humored. Even though there was nothing for her to fin humorous about this situation. Suddenly she had this empty feeling. The humor was gone, so was the urge to deny going with Mikaela. It was like there was now a vacant part of her mind. A roommate that had just moved out.

Maybe Mikaela was right. Could she be sick? But she felt fine. Well fine other than the headache she was giving herself. That and the immensely itchy part of her chest. It was almost like it was her heart that was the itchy part. With a roll of her eyes she let her mind an Mikaela know what she thought about this entire situation.

Grabbing a book that was on her bedside table she shooed Mikaela away and sat down. Aha! She could relax today and not have to worry about robotic men or friends bothering her. Settling down she got comfortable and opened up her book. 'Robopocolypse'.

Two hours later she tossed the book away and it landed near the door. As much fun as she had reading that she was bored most of the time due to her knowing and being friends with the Autobots. Though she did realize one thing, the Autobots weren't robots. The were robotic looking, but they were anything but robots. Robots were just pretending to be humans without really trying, the Autobots were so much more.

They had feelings, thoughts, and wants. The Autobots experienced things, good and bad alike. Life and death affected them the same way it would affect humans. The felt loss and love. Robots were unfeeling beings made by humans. They didn't have their own thought process but was programed by human hands to think and decide things the way they do. Autobots, her friends, made decisions that sometimes hurt and left a resounding guilt behind or spread joy and the smiled.

Every time she had called them robots in her mind made her feel like an ass now. Calling them that was as good as calling her brain dead. A walking talking puppet.

Shaking those thoughts away she began to think of Ironhide. Strong, tough, brilliant, hot Ironhide. Never willing to back down, more than happy to split a fight up if it meant he got to hit something. Smart as Ratchet, as strong as Optimus, Ironhide was a mix of the best and- Wait a minute! Did she just call him hot? No. Nuh uh. She was not that kind of person. October was in no way turned on by a hunk of metal. And a hunk he was~. No! No, bad October. She thought to herself.

Never in a million years would she be attracted, leastly sexually, to a robot. Not a robot! HE was much more than a robot. He was a living being. She was not attracted to him. But then why did she feel like this when thinking about him. Imagining his large robotic body, but not a robot, standing in front of her she saw him eye to eye, well her eyes to his chest. Either he shrunk or she grew.

Ironhide's metal hand moved out and cupped her cheek. It was so warm and she leaned into it. His other hand touched her neck and he pulled her close. Body to body she didn't even notice he was a metal being even as she let her hands run over his chest, her fingers poked through and touched some of his wires and she felt him shudder under her touch.

His hands were suddenly lifting her shirt and she was more than happy to let him. When one hand came up to caress her breast she admitted she liked him. She was sexually attracted to an Autonomous Robotic Organism.

Soemthing too real seemed to touch her and she started and jumped up. There was nothing there and she realized she still hand her shirt on but was sprawled out on her bed.

Did she just fucking dream she was about to have sex with Ironhide? "I need to go on a vacation."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen: Vacation, Here I Come! Wait, We?

Ironhide's optics flashed as he returned to reality. What had just happened? He knew he was not in recharge. His optics and systems had all been online and were still online. The loud sound of his internal fans trying to cool him down corroborated to that. He had 'spaced out', as the humans said, and, like the humans too, 'daydreamed'.

Solely focused on his task he didn't know how when or why his processors blanked. But then he was standing in front of October. She was wearing what she had been earlier. Jeans with her heavy boots underneath and a dark pink, off one shoulder, top. Her confused beautiful brown orbs landed on him and he couldn't help but reach out to touch her cheek.

She had more than willingly leaned into his touch and her soft eyes held adoration for him. A tiny smile graced her pink lips as she looked at him and with his second servo he grasped her neck and pulled her to him. It was as she touched his chest plates with her hands and those small fingers of hers had sneaked beneath the protective armor to tangle and touch sensitive wires that he needed to touch her too.

His strong fingers grasped her shirt and lifted revealing skin that was close to being milky but had a very light tan to it. In his day dream she had been more than happy to let him remove her shirt. In this alternate word she liked him as much as he liked her. The bond was as strong as it was because he did like her, he just hadn't realized how much or in what way until now.

It was as he cupped her breast that he was thrown back to a reality without her. Oddly enough she had felt so real. His hand felt warm as if it really had been touching her. The false images and feeling had turned him on, sexually, enough that his fans had automatically kicked on to cool down his now overheating systems.

Desire still kept it's hold on him and he couldn't help but wonder if it was his own or Octobers. He had been feeling her feelings earlier and had sent her his too. Perhaps it was her feelings clouding his judgment- Hold on! Who the frag was turning his femme's sexual desires on!

Abandoning his project his body shifted mid step and he sped out of not only his weapons room (his finally finished being built weapons room) but the base too. If he found one mech looking at her he would forsake Optimus' rule about not harming the human's and blow that fragger back to Cybertron! October was his! She didn't know it yet but she would. Ironhide would make sure of it soon.

Speeding down the roads at speeds higher than any human car could go he made it to where her energy signature was and came to a screeching halt. It was a small two story wooden shack. From his scans he could tell the first floor was two rooms while the top was a single large room and a cleaning station room. There was a single energy signature and it matched hers.

If that was so, then had it been all him? What had brought his desire for her on? But most of all, had he shared it with her? His engine cut off as he thought that. Pit no! If he had then there was a world of possibilities that could have happened. She may know it was him. He could have shared not only his feeling but the images his mind had brought up- for Primus' sake! In his mind he had touched her! What if she felt it? It had felt so real in his mind! What if- dare he even think it?- what if she saw it all too?

Primus strike him where he was parked.

October had heard a large vehicle pull up and turn off outside. Peeking out her curtain she saw the object of her own day dream sitting there. Her heart rate spiked and she could only mark this down as s big coincidence. Her face flushed and she warmed in places she wished to stay cool. He was her friend!She should not be thinking of him like that. Besides he probably felt the exact opposite of her.

Her heart seemed to sink with that thought. She got it bad for the mech. Perhaps that vacation she had thought about before was in order. It had been a slight joke but maybe it would be beast if she got away from the mech and cooled off. She needed to get him out of her mind.

She had no where she could go though! Unless... no, only if it was an emergency. The wind blew and her curtain moved giving her a glimpse of the black Topkick. Okay, it was an emergency.

Picking up her phone she went through her contacts until she found the person she was looking for. Ring! Ring! Ri- "Hello?" A woman asked.

"Hey mom, I wanna come up and visit for the weekend. You got room?" Of course the leach had room. The extensive mansion ground had enough room to fit the Autobots- hey, there was a thought for sure. Anyway, there was always room. Her mother also wanted every penny her father had and was extremely pissed it had went from grandfather to granddaughter and not from father to daughter.

"Oh of course, my little love bug. Come up as soon as you can. You wanna try for dinner? Or lunch?" Of course her mother would try to get her up there almost immediately.

"I'll make it for dinner." They spoke a few more words before hanging up and October began to get ready for her weekend horror- er vacation.

Just as she finished stuffing the bathing suit Mikaela had left into her duffel bag her phone rang. An unrecognized number showed up. Not only that but it was blocked too. Hesitantingly she answered with a "Hello?"

"October," that deep voice that heated her back up said, "I am outside. Would you like to go for a drive or-"

"Oh- er, Ironhide, um my mother called. She asked me to come up for dinner and stay the weekend. IF I want to make it up by dinner I need to get biking there immediately. I'm sorry, really I am." Oddly enough, she was.

Sure this 'vacation' was to get away from him and sort her feeling out. But seriously? She liked him. It made her sad to know that they could have just gone for a ride and hung out but she couldn't. It was like in high school where you rushed out of class when you noticed your crush watching you. Running away to save yourself from embarrassment but only able to wish he would talk to you.

"I'll drive you. I could use a break from the twins and Hatchet." Joy overwhelmed her. She would like that, a lot.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen: Jarvis

Sitting in Ironhide's cab in the passengers seat was slightly awkward due to the nonexistent driver. Her eyes were glued to the steering wheel as it turned marginally by itself. Finally the silent speakers made a sound that was similar to a sigh and she knew that Ironhide was irritated by something. Her eyes left his steering wheel and scanned the page of her open book. "Why do you keep watching my wheel?"

"It's weird," He sputtered at her, his wheel was not weird! "to watch a car driving with no driver." She quickly added upon hearing his engine's worrying noise. "Your wheel looks perfect, but to see it turning on it's own is just different." A fizzing sound caught her attention and she looked up from pretending to read her book only to release a startled sound. There was a guy who was defiantly not Ironhide's holoform sitting in the drivers seat.

Ironhide's holoform was a large guy about six and a half feet tall with black chin length hair blinding blue eyes and an abnormal amount of muscles on his arms. This new guy though, he was much less large and bulky. He still had dark hair, close to black, but it was cut short, maybe an inch or two. Eyes were just as bright and intense as the precious blue too. If she had to guess as to his height she would say just under six feet and his overall mass was lean but his body was corded with muscles and yet was not bulky in the least. There was a light dusting of facial hair and she couldn't help but think of the actor Norman Reedus.

"Is this better?" He asked but upon getting no reply noticed that she was looking him over. When she finally finished he decided to ask, "like what you see?" Arrogant bastard, he could form her feelings into words that fit the bill. She was right though, he was being arrogant.

"What happened to your other one? The large scary one?" October avoided his question and avoided looking him in the eyes. His new form was very nice and she refused to think about him like that. Well at least when he was around that is.

"It was a default. I never planned to really use this so I had just used the default Ratchet had created." He rested one of his hands on his wheel while the other hung out his rolled down window. It must be real trippy to look through two sets of eyes and to know you were seated inside yourself October figured.

"And you plan to use it more now?" She looked at him quizzically.

"I'm spending the weekend with you and your family, aren't I?" He was joking, not wanting to admit that he had put effort into creating this one so that it might be pleasing upon her eyes.

"Yeah, I suppose you are." October admitted. Hoping that something might happen between them. A girl could dream, couldn't she? "What are you going to about clothes though?" Looking down at his clothes he looked back at her. Blue jeans with a gray wife beater adorned him with black workers boots. There was nothing wrong with what he wore. "Oh, so you plan to wear that the entire weekend?"

With a roll of his eyes he concentrated on his wrists and from out of thin air a black cuff formed on his left wrist while a smaller one formed on his right as a tan leather in color. Grudgingly she admitted that she did like what she saw. Though this form had nothing on his real bipedal one. It was a fake body and fake look. She truly preferred his mechanical look.

Her directions led them to a large estate with a great big iron wrought fence that encircled the property. Ironhide looked at her questionably. This place was so big and lavish compared to her small shack. Obviously she was joking. Or she was just trying to not be around him by coming up with a lie as big as- what the frag was she doing!

October crawled over his seats and stretched out across him to reach out to the small metal code impute box. The numbers were quickly typed in and before she could move back Ironhide jerked causing her to fall onto his lap. Moving off of him she apologized. Was that the right response in this situation? Oh God, maybe inviting him had been a bad idea!

Either way Ironhide slowly drove up the long drive. When the gates had begun to move he had been truly shocked to realize this was no lie. He would have been more than happy had October stayed on his lap where she had ended up. But he was not going to force her to stay when she attempted to get up. When he finally made it passed a vast amount of trees he slowed to a stop. The place was huge! How had she ended up in a shack?

"Well?" October finally said, "are we going up or not?" Rolling his eyes he began to move forward more until he parked in front of the main doors. Taking her duffel bag for her he let her lead him to the door. His blue eyes watched as she nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before she pressed the doorbell button. "Hey, Jarvis,"October greeted as an older lanky man with graying hair in an all black outfit opened the door.

"Lady October, it has been a long time since we last saw you," He kissed her cheeks and she kissed his back. Ironhide had to restrain himself from touching the man, "speaking of us-" the man cut off and notice Ironhide as he moved to stand behind October. "Sir," Jarvis said suddenly professional and he gave a slight bow.

"Oh, Jarvis, this is my uh, friend," October swallowed thickly as she realized his name was not very human.

"John," Ironhide introduced catching October's blunder. His large hands rested upon her shoulders, after he set her duffel bag down at their feet, in a possessive way that went over October's head but Jarvis caught the implied meaning.

"Um, anyway, what were you about to say?"Jarvis focused on her and it took him a minute to remember what she meant.

"Ah yes, many of us working here stayed out of respect for your late grandfather while the rest have nowhere else to go. Not many of us wish to stay anymore due to your mother and her husband. They are horribly rude and we do not wish to take it anymore." He looked away from her shocked expression not able to deal with the horror and sorrow in the look.

"I- I'll handle this. Immediately. Tell everyone they have the weekend off. They will be paid still. Even you."

"I couldn't possibly leave you here to deal with your mother alone." He backed out of the way and allowed the two to enter, Ironhide finally removed his hands from her shoulders. "But I will pass along the message and everyone will go to the second house for the weekend."

Jarvis was silent then and led them further into the house and up a flight of stairs. But to October's confusion he led her passed her normal bedroom and further to the 'suite' rooms. These were mostly for when they had company over that consisted of couples. Romantic couples. It clicked in her head exactly what Jarvis had thought.

She was going to correct him when one of Ironhide's hands landed on her shoulders again. Too distracted by that she forgot what she was going to tell Jarvis. He opened the double doors and the 'couple' entered. "This was one of your grandfather's favorite rooms. You can see the drive from the bathroom windows and at the back is the the pool you can look over. He particularly liked looking out into the woods here."

Jarvis backed out of the room and closed the doors tight. Standing there she cleared her throat and looked towards the bed. "Well, this is slightly awkward." She finally said.

Ironhide furrowed his brows and looked at her. What was so awkward about any of this? He actually liked the idea of them as a couple. Sharing a berth wasn't on the bottom of any list he had either. Hell they have shared one before too. Though she didn't know that. Leading her to the bathroom he pushed the curtain back and could see his real form from there.

"If you leave the curtain open, I can pop up here anytime." His eyes unfocused and he let his mind wander to his true form. From where he was parked he could barely see into the window. But if he moved he would have a perfect view and if it was in his line of sight and under five hundred feet he could form his holoform here. "Just, don't close the curtain."

Being an alien life form he was able to pull of the false innocence of not understanding what she meant. He easily played it off like he didn't know what Jarvis thought of them.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen: Family

Ironhide went through the pretense of walking out of the building to move his real form back two or three feet so that he could see the window. He was about to head back up when he caught sight of October in the window. Her mind was distracted enough that after only ten minutes she had completely forgotten he would be able to see into the bathroom perfectly.

From where she stood he could barely see from her waist up. She quickly bobbed down and he wondered what she was doing. He couldn't see that she removed her pants and undies for swimming bottoms and a small pair of trunks. But Ironhide could perfectly see as she pulled her top off and unclasped her bra. October pulled on a black bikini top and he could barely make out the lime green stitching from where he was parked.

She was going to kill him over this weekend, he was sure of it. Suddenly a thought trickled into his processor. He had never seen her naked before, or rather her bare breasts, so how had he known in that day dream she had a small freckle on the left one? His spark skipped a beat as he figured not only had she shared the dream with him, but had willingly participated in it.

Would she be unwilling if he initiated something with her? He could just imagine it. Her there in front of him. His holoform would reach out like last time to touch her cheek and- she would pull away. No, that's not what he imagined so why was she doing that? Unless... He wasn't, was he?

October had been walking out of the bathroom when her mind blanked. She knew she fell to her knees as she sat on the floor. It was the images her mind suddenly began creating that took her attention though. Ironhide's holoform stood in front of her with his hand reaching out to touch her cheek. No! her mind cried and she shied away from his touch.

Shock and pain resonated through Ironhide and made its way to her. Closing her eyes tight she forced this image away and in it's place was the real him. Wires and all. Opening her eyes she relaxed as she saw Ironhide's shocked bipedal mode. Her hands landed on his chest plates and her joy was felt by him while his awe at her seemed to thrum through her veins. "Ironhide-" she started but he leaned forward and she knew his purpose.

Flesh lips met metallic ones. Both were soft somehow. The metals used in a transformers body were nearly inconceivable by human minds so it never crossed hers that they could be real. Nor that he really had a soft, slightly dampened by energon, tongue. When she felt the appendage licking at her lips she pulled back to look shocked at his mouth. It had to be a dream, what else could it be? But it felt too good. She did not want to wake up from this dream.

"Lady October!" A voice interrupted and her mind was viscously pulled from the dream. Jarvis was there helping her to stand. "Are you unwell?" he worriedly asked as he led her to the bed.

"No I- uh, I spaced out. It's nothing out of the normal. You know I've always been a day dreamer." October gave him a weary smile. This was not only the second time that she spaced out, but the second time today. The first time was different than this time. she had initiated it by thinking about whether or not she liked Ironhide in that way. This time it just happened. One second she was walking towards her bed thinking about sitting with her legs in the pool or laying on a lawn chair till her mother returned home (for had her mother been home in the first place she would have bum rushed the door). Then suddenly her legs were giving out and the only thing she knew was the coppery taste of Ironhide. Like touching her tongue to a battery- No! Don't think about this now, October. She chastised herself. "Do you- uh do you know where John is?" Sure, distract yourself from thinking about him by asking where he is. Brilliant October, just brilliant. She again said in her head.

Before Jarvis could say a thing a woman screamed bloody murder. October raced from the room barefoot and Jarvis sighed headily. The 'real' lady of the house was home. He grabbed October's pair of brown sandals and slowly headed where he knew everyone wold be congregated. In the front door letting all of the bugs in. Bugs he would need to deal with.

On the other hand October hopped onto the banister and slid down the railing. Ironhide saw her speeding form on the slick banister and he was terrified that she would get hurt. Why couldn't she have just walked down the stairs like a normal person! he pushed passed the screaming woman, who had began screamin when she entered and saw his form heading for the stairs, and the man who was trying to reach for a baseball bat to stand at the end of the banister.

Catching October he held her close and tried to block her from the two people. "Stop screaming, mother!" October ordered as she managed to wriggle out of Ironhide's grip to stand between him and the guy with a bat about to swing, "and call Cain off!"

Instantly the woman quieted and the man hesitated. "Tobe's, baby! Step away from the guy! Hurry!" October gritted her teeth and rolled her eyes. Again with the 'Toby's'! Why wont anyone do as she wished and stop calling her that.

"Mother, calm down. And Cain will- stop that!" Cain was trying to circle around to get to Ironhide's back to get a hit in. October boldly reached out and tore the bat from the surprised man's hands. Her grip moved from the end of the bat to the handle and she pointed at cain with it. "down. Sit boy." She said clearly as if talking to a dog. Cain grunted and moved to her mother's side. "Now, any other interruptions before i finish speaking?"

"Actually," her mother began but with a pointed look fromOctober she shut up.

"Good. This is John, my friend. Tell your puppy to stand down," as she said puppy she looked to Cain who sneered at the girl who looked to only be a few years younger than him. october just made a face back at him, she remembered being a freshman in high school when he was senior. "John is staying the weekend with us. Neither of you two are to say anything about it. Got it?"

Her mother and Cain both remained silent. As much of a confirmation as she was going to get from either. "October," Jarvis began; he was as loyal to her as he was to her grandfather. She had grown up here for the most part due to her mother leaving her here often so him ad the rest of the staff had grown fond of her. "your brother's-"

His warning came too late for from the side a guy lifted her up in a hug and twisted around. A gleeful squeal escaped her and Ironhide was confused. He could feel her joy and happiness at being hugged by this person but who was this new guy? He was the same age as Cain. Ironhide looked to Jarvis who gave him October's sandals.

"Master Thor- or are you Master Nero?- please put your sister down." Sister? October had a brother?

"Indeed I will," Thor or Nero said. He tossed his sister onto his shoulder and reached into her pockets, "you're her boyfriend, right? Here hold her phone." not bothering to wait for a confirmation from Ironhide he passed the iphone over and began to walk away. Jarvis protested slightly, "I'm going to put her down." the guy said as he walked off. "In the pool."

Hysterically happy squeals reached Ironhide's ears, and with a small smirk he followed. she was genuinely happy to see her brother, unlike her mother. Still Ironhide looked her brother over taking in everything about the man. He was six-six in height, taller than himself but he was not a tall bot either, and his hair was a dark brown in color and shaved mostly off. Only the barest of peach fuzz remained. What gave him away as military was not the tags hanging from his neck or the ripped muscles that could be seen through the white wife beater, but the desert cammies that hugged his waist and the high boots (a dog tag strung through the laces) that were pulled tight over the cammies bottoms.

Outside on a chair near the pool Ironhide saw that one chair held this soldier's cammie shirt and the one next to it had an entire uniform. Tshirt, cammies, socks shoved into boots. Floating in the pool was a man identical to October's brother. Same haircut, tan lines everything. "Incoming, Thor!" Nero's voice, the one currently holding October, boomed and he tossed a flailing October into the pool.

Ironhide was suddenly over come with panic and he nearly jumped in after her. Instead Thor dived and grabbed his sister and brought them both above the surface. "Hey man!" Thor yelled at Nero. He shielded himself and October, who clung to him for dear life, with an arm when Nero cannonballed into the pool! "Yo! I said pass her to me! Not throw her; you know she can't swim."

Can't swim?! Ironhide nearly shook with anger. She was so close to danger because of her brother! "I knew you would save her. No worries." Nero said after dunking himself and resurfacing. "Oh yeah, hey, this is- uh I didn't catch your name." Nero said looking at Ironhide.

"John." Ironhide said tensely. "What branch are you guys?" Thor motioned towards a circular tube near Ironhide so he grabbed it and tossed it. October was tossed into it by Thor as Nero held it still. He was on edge when the brothers released her, but she floated. How?

"Marines. You?" They, unlike October, had taken immediate notice of his own dog tags.

"N.E.S.T. (pronounced like nest), the new branch recently created by the Secretary of Defense." October squirmed around on the tube until her feet were through the hole and she hung over the edge. Her grin was wide and any panic she had felt at being tossed into the pool was gone. Now she was just in a good mood. She had her older twin brothers here, Ironhide was here, and the only down side to this weekend was her mother.

"We know of it. It was mentioned to our unit that if any of us wished to get moved there we need to sign up. There was also mention of a test to see how well we could keep secret what's going on with the team. We were considering it but-" Thor, who had begun to hand onto the tube opposite October, bit his lip in uncertainty.

"You should try for it. John could possibly let in a word of recommendation too." Ironhide gave her a small nod letting her know that if that was what she wanted he would, "and John could, or rather should, change and join us."

Before denying her suggestion he poked at their bond. She didn't react so he pushed a bit harder and broke through. Shifting quickly through her emotions, pushing her confusing back immediately because he knew it was from the bond being poked at, he found what he was looking for. Honestly she wanted him to join her in the water.

He looked at her raising an eyebrow. Let's test this bond, he thought. October scowled at him. Her brothers decided to leave the couple to their small, insignificant, dispute. She decided to poke back. Accidentally that is. She mimicked the feeling of being poked and prodded in her mind just because she felt like it. Oddly enough she felt something when she poked.

Humor. Somehow she poked at something and in turn got slight humor. Unthinkingly she sent a feeling that was as close to want (the kind of want that's 'give me~') at the humor. The humor seemed to stutter for a second before it felt like silent roaring laughter. Ironhide turned around and entered the house again.

That was the second the brothers attacked their baby sister. "You are willingly in a relationship with him, right?"

"Is it a serious relationship?"

"Are you two at home base?"

The two brothers stopped questioning her, and ducked under water when she began splashing at them. Her cheeks flared red at the thought of home base. She wasn't at first base with him let alone the last!

When she finished splashing at them they watched her warily. Then Thor had to open his mouth and start a whole world of other questions. "Is he any good?"

"What's he better at? Hand? Full penetration?"

"Oral" October replied, nailing him with a large splash from her hand. If she hadn't have applied sun lotion in the bathroom earlier, the bright red flush could have been mistaken for a sunburn.

"What about you two?"; she spat at them. "Find a Charlie yet?" The two's eyes widened considerably and they sputtered at her. "what's you favorite? Getting or giving?" They knew her implications and decided retaliation, not in the form of questions, was necessary. Their splashing war lasted half a minute until Ironhide returned.

What had taken him so long was looking up how to swim. His bipedal form had thrusters used to propel him and keep him afloat if necessary. In this form he had googled several ways to swim and now he knew. The water war between October and the two marine's had stopped the second they noticed him and everything was eerily calm.

"Home base?" Thor asked while coughing. embarrassment colored October's cheeks again, and she began madly splashing at him. Nero climbed out and recruited Ironhide to help carry and fill up four water guns with icy water.

"We'll be on teams; you wanna be with Toby, or me and my brother?" Nero asked and Ironhide's eye visibly twitched. "What?" Nero asked being the ever observant marine he was.

"She hates being called Toby." Ironhide gruffly said before taking the guns and heading out. Of course he would be on her team.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter marks several important things between out favorite Bot and OC. makes more progress on explaining the bond and their over all ness.

Chapter Nineteen: God Damn It All 

Dinner that night was mostly silent. October didn't want to say anything to her mother about what she planned. The twins were busy digging into non military issued food. All attempts at conversation between October's mother, Cain, and Ironhide were at a standstill because Ironhide outright ignored them and didn't reply to anything that was said.

At one point her mother had gotten angry, "you have the gall to be screwing my daughter and not speak to me?" October's horror and anger leaked through the still wide open bond and Ironhide had to send his amusement to her to keep her from reacting. Other than that the dinner went well.

"Well, Thor and I are off to bed," Nero announced. the only way Ironhide could tell the two apart was when one mentioned the other's name.

"Don't stay up too late you two." Thor said with a wink. There was that too. Thor liked to joke about October causing the poor girl to burn a bright red and look down trying not to make eye contact with anyone. Especially at Ironhide. It had taken Ironhide accessing the internet to understand half of what Thor insinuated. Even now Ironhide looked up what he meant and figured out that this insinuation was about having sex.

When Thor said that joke it abruptly ended the rest of everyone else's dinner. October excused herself and Ironhide followed. He had went for a drive earlier and when he returned used the excuse that he had eaten while out to avoid explaining that he could not consume human food. Well he technically could, but when he turned his holoform off, all of that food would end up on the floor.

Since it was only about eight (the marines had decided a relaxing hot shower was in order before sleep) he suggested another dip in the pool. October wanted to say no, using the excuse that you shouldn't swim after eating, but then she realized she could relax in the pool with him and no nosey brothers making fun of her- nonexistent- sexual life.

Before she could actually agree Jarvis was there with her bathing suit. He had not been happy when Ironhide had refused to give his up. She changed in the bathroom outside while Ironhide just let his clothes dissipate and his bottoms take it's place. When she came out of the bathroom she was pulling her hair up into a high pony tail.

Ironhide took the stretchy band from between her lips and knocked her hands away. He knew how much she liked having it braided so with a quick search of youtube he was able to braid her hair like a professional hair dresser. "You didn't have to do that," she mumbled. Even without the bond he could tell something was off. With their bond, (he had to tell her about that and soon) he knew it was because she felt like she was using him.

"I felt like it." Was his reply. He had a plan. the entire point of the pool was for this little plan he had come up with.

Into the pool they went. When the reached chest deep for her he lifted her up so that her legs wrapped around his waist and her arms hooked around his neck. He gave no indication of what he planned to do so she gasped softly as his lips touched hers. She wasn't exactly happy so he activated several sensors and kept an eye on the five beings inside. Knowing that none of them would or could see them he let his form shift. To October's eyes it seemed to shimmer and a smaller version of his bipedal form was there in the water with her.

"As much as you like this form, you will have to get used to my other one too. It won't do for me to be seen in public looking like this." This time when his lips made contact with hers a sigh of pleasure escaped her lips. Even though he was thrilled she liked his real look better than the other image what he said was true. If they were in public together then she had to get used to holding hands (possibly kissing) the other.

A sensor went off and he let him image shift back to the other, much to the disappointment of October who made a disgruntled sound. "Does this mean what I think it does?"

His forehead touched her's, a surprisingly intimate form of affection to Cybertronians, and he said "yes. We are a couple." Hesitantly her lips touched his and he actually found it humorous. normally he would have possibly been upset that she wouldn't want to share a human custom of intimacy with him had he not known it was because she preferred his true form.

"Not in my pool." October's mother said harshly. She regretted having her daughter over. As much as she wanted to get some money out of the girl she did not like this side of her daughter. Where was the meek little girl that would roll over and let her mother control her? That was the person she had wanted not this happy girl that would be unlikely to dish out even a dollar.

"Actually," October said taking a deep breath, "It's my pool." That caught everyone off guard. Her twin brothers had stuck their heads out their window to see what was going on. Cain had been standing behind October's mother while Jarvis was at the sliding door with two sets of towels. The drying cloths nearly fell out of his hands. Did this mean what he thought?

"Get the hell out of my house! You and that boy toy of yours are to leave. Immediately. If you do not, then I will call the police and have you escorted out." She threatened.

Ironhide wanted to object but he could tell October had something planned. "Do it. I dare you to." Ironhide began making his way out of the pool and his hands kept October from leaning on him. He knew that seeing them like this would piss her mother off, and that was what it seemed she wanted. It worked, because her mother made a sound of disgust when he walked out of the pool, dripping wet, holding her to him still.

Finally he let her down and they accepted the towels Jarvis offered. "That's right. You two better fucking leave."

"Jarvis, would you please call the authorities and tell them that we have a few unwelcome guests that refuse to leave?" Jarvis said he would with a small bow and left. "Pack as many bags as you can and leave before the cops get here mother. When you find a place, inform me of the address and I will send the rest of your things."

"I am not leaving this house!" But October and Ironhide didn't stick around to hear what else she said. They headed up to the room where Ironhide apologized, for he needed to deactivate his holoform but he promised to return if she needed him when, or if, the authorities came.

He walked into the bathroom and October watched him curiously for he stepped into the tub. When his form winked at her before disappearing a puddle of water fell and went down the drain. Of course, the water from the pool needed to go somewhere. She hopped in the shower with her suit still on, to wash the chlorine out before next time, and when her ten minute shower was over, and she dressed, Ironhide's false human form appeared next to her.

"Your mother is down stairs talking to the police," he said. He was officially worried now.

"Don't worry," she said. Had she not known that from the bond he had felt the small prod, than he would have thought her a mind reader. "You're going to learn something new about me now."

Watching her, he saw her take several pieces of papers and her wallet. She left all of her clothes and everything, so he wondered what she was thinking. "Hello," she greeted the two men in uniform.

"That's my skank of a daughter and her man whore." Her mother said, while pointing an perfectly manicured finger at October.

"Ma'am," the male officer said. Ironhide couldn't figure out why he seemed so familiar. Something in the back of his mind was screaming a warning at him. "You and your boyfriend will have to leave the property or be escorted off."

"Okay, but before anyone is forced to leave just look at these." She handed over her drivers licence and a social security card, along with her birth certificate. "As you can see I am October Williams. now if you will look at these," Jarvis handed a folder over to the officer and Ironhide tried to look at it curiously. "That top paper states that this entire place belongs to my grandfather. The next is his will, and upon his death it was to be willed to an heir he picked. Next one is the updated will stating the same thing, but with me as the heir. Under that is the propety ownership. At the bottom is my grandfathers signature and mine, stating that before his death I was to become the next to take over the property."

The male and female looked over the papers but Ironhide focused on them. Why did it seem that the male was important and that Ironhide should recognize him? "Well it seems that you are not the people that need to be removed." The two cops moved to look at the disbelieving Cain and her furious mother.

Jarvis came back down the stairs, having gone up after handing the papers over, with not only two bags of her mothers but her two brothers carrying multiple ones for her mother too. Either they had been creeping about or Jarvis had requested a hand. More than likely the former. "What about these three?" the female officer asked. She looked way too young to be an officer. What was she? A year or two older than October?

"No that's Jarvis, our butler, and my more than welcome brothers." The officers led her mother and Cain out while Jarvis and her brothers followed to put the bags in the insanely expensive sports car. From the door they watched as at first her mother drove off, then the cops followed.

Ironhide's eyes narrowed, but he couldn't see if he really saw what he thought. It couldn't be though, Barricade was dead. So there was no way that the rear of that car had said 'to punish and enslave'. After quickly scanning the retreating car, no signs of it being a 'Con came up. But that could have been because the car was too far away and was good at hiding its signature.

"I can't believe you threw her out!" Thor said in shock, though he was anything but against it.

"I don't think she can either." Nero mumbled and Ironhide turned to look at October, the car forgotten and pushed to the back of his mind upon seeing a paling October.

"I don't think that had been her plan at all at first," in his head Ironhide cursed. He knew exactly why it had happened. He should have closed the bond long ago. Instead his own feelings and wishes had mixed with hers and she had fed off of his when throwing her parental unit out. Primus frag it! he needed to talk to her as soon as possible about their bond.

For now though, he worried about catching her body when her legs gave out after her mind went blank.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty: Rapid Succession

Ironhide brought her back to her room that night and after locking the door along with putting a chair behind it deactivated his holoform.

It was in the morning soon after the sun began to rise that he activated his holoform (wearing only a pair of boxer-briefs) and entered the room again. He had kept his sensors on and knew that her brothers were waking up. Removing the chair he laid in bed with October. He stayed above the covers though while she was under them.

Their door cracked open and one of the twins came in. The twin's eyes looked over Ironhide and October before rolling. Making a motion with his hand to Ironhide he waited to see if he would answer. Ironhide nodded and the twin left. Forming clothes on he waited a minute before doing as asked and following the twin. Outside the room both twins were against the wall. "Who's who?"

"Nero, Thor had the cut on his forehead." Ironhide looked closely and saw a faint light line on Thor's head. Now he knew how to tell the two apart. "Let's go for a run." Ironhide would rather go to a range and practice making his perfect aim stay that way but he wanted to get to know her brothers if only a small bit.

October awoke twenty minutes later to an empty room and silent house. "fuck me," she grumbled letting the events of the other night play over in her head. Her mothers harsh words then her own stupid adolescent acts. What was wrong with her? She had never acted this way before. Now though she was acting like a hotheaded preteen.

Though now she had the mansion to herself and if she could get the staff accepting then perhaps the bots could hang out here. No. That's stupid. They not only had their own lives but they were in the middle of a damned war. Yet, that didn't seem to bother Ironhide. Like her he had feelings for an alien race.

But just what type of feelings? God, if she didn't stop now then she would drive herself crazy with these questions.

Getting up and out of bed she got dressed and headed down for breakfast. A bowl of cereal, yum. Sitting down she poured her food and ate it. Where was Ironhide? Actually where was anybody? Her brothers weren't here and Jarvis was oddly not up and moving around by five like normal. It was already about six. A chirping outside caught her attention and going to the back door near the pool she looked around.

her head cocked to the side in confusion. A radio? They didn't have one here that she knew of due to have speakers in every room so that when moving from room to room they could move the music. might as well move it away from the edge of the pool. It probably belonged to Thor or Nero. She wouldn't hear the end of it if it fell in.

Getting close to it she reached down to grab it when she saw something on or in it moving. Wha-

Ironhide felt a fresh wave of panic and fear grip him as him and the brothers made their way back to the house after their hour long run. It had actually been slightly refreshing. The run not the terror he felt through the bond. A brief image flashed in his processor. Water. A watery grave. The pool!

His speed picked up when he realized he could hear splashing and not in his head. The brothers seemed to realize something was off and followed him when they too heard the water. At least she was putting up a fight. Another image flashed when the water was silent. A bot about two feet in height was above him, holding onto his throat forcing him beneath the water. A Frenzy look alike, but not Frenzy.

Decepticon.

Ironhide's blue eyes flared to deep purple. his anger adding such a hue of red that it was becoming noticeable in his blue optics. The four foot fence that surrounded the pool, a deterrent for most animals, was nothing for him. He dove head first into the pool and with no hesitation tore the bot in two with his hands. Grabbing October he put her over his shoulder and kicked off of the bottom of the pool.

The twins pulled October out with ease and Ironhide went back under grabbing the still living bot. This bot would rue the day it was created. All Cybertronian's knew that to mess with a Mech's bonded was a death wish. Then add in this Femme's Mech was a weapons specialist toting cannons built right into his arms and that was the single person you never wanted to mess with.

Ignoring the three humans, he knew October was in good hands. He brought the 'Con to his alternate form. Part of the bed lifted up to show a compartment. As soon as Ratchet and Optimus finished with this tiny bot, he would deal with it. Nothing anyone said would change his mind.

Initiating a comm between the two afore mentioned bots, he got an immediate reply. He informed the two of what happened and that he had the terrified 'Con with him. He would be bringing the 'Con in in a few. October came first and Ratchet wanted to come check her out. Ironhide did not argue.

Once the 'Con was locked up tight, he was nearly instantly at October's shivering and coughing side. "Hey, Little Spark, hush. Don't worry," he said softly and held her close, "Hatchet is on his way. He'll look you over and you'll be fine in no time."

October wrapped her arms around his neck and he lifted her up. Her shivers lessened but still she shook. All of her clothes were saturated so that was why she felt cold. Why had her bond only thought of the frigid feeling? "Check around the house. Watch for an emergency vehicle to pull up. When he arrives notify me immediately." Ironhide didn't wait for an answer or any type of reply. He needed to do as the Doc bot said, get her under the spray of warm water from the shower head; and then when she was warmed up, into dry clothes.

By the time Ratchet did arrive, Ironhide had braided her hair three different times. Through the bond, he had felt the soothing action his fingers had caused while fixing her damp hair. Ratchet entered the room to see October bundled in a blanket with Ironhide sitting behind her, his legs bent and knees hiding her from whatever the blanket didn't, and braiding her hair for a fourth time. Ratchet saved the image of Ironhide braiding her hair for a later time to harass him with.

He kicked Ironhide out of the room. October instantly became scared again, and all of the calm that Ironhide had managed to put back in her evaporated like none of it had existed in the first place. From out here, there was only one thing he could do. Forcing himself to calm down, he focused on that emotion and sent it through the bond.

Ratchet had been taking her heart rate, a rather worryingly high heart rate, when it began to calm down and level out. Her eyes became unfocused and his own worry increased. Doing an increased and more intricate scan of her he noticed the open bond. turning to scan Ironhide through the door he noted that the bond was open on his side too and that his spark rate matched her heart rate. Calming down himself, he knew that she was so calm due to Ironhide's influence.

That would actually make his own job a bit easier. With her so calm, he was able to finish in ten minutes. The door opened, and Ironhide's form was sitting against the wall. He didn't move, and Ratchet did a second scan of him. It was intriguing how open their bond was. If he hadn't known better he would say that they were in the third stage. The second stage took months to reach, sometimes years, and that would be where images could be passed. Then the third was always a good year or two after the second was initiated. Through the third they would be able to connect in dreams, communicate as if no distance separated them.

But it just wasn't possible. A bond took much more time than the two had spent. Unless... no. Besides October was human. Anything more than a first stage bond was just inconceivable. Feelings would be easy enough to share, but anything more for a human was just plain unimaginable. Yet she had bonded directly with his spark. There was no trial bond like normal. They had become spark mates the second she touched his spark and his spark accepted her. "Ironhide-" he said and The bot's white eyes (his optics had offlined!) lit up and shone brightly. Behind him Ratchet heard October take a deep breath and looking at her Ratchet could see that she had no idea where she was. "What was that?" He asked his friend quickly. "Were you sharing a dream?"

"Yes." Ironhide said not knowing the importance of it. Hell; he barely knew that they were bonded. He had no idea of how far bonded they were. Not caring at this moment about Ratchet's flabbergasted look, he went to October's side. "We have to cut this vacation of yours short." Before she could protest, he had her duffle bag in hand and half of her clothes packed.

"No!" She cried grabbing onto his arm as he was about to shove a shirt into the bag. "Please, I don't want to leave my brothers. It's been so long since I've seen them. Don't take me away from them already. Ironhide, please."

Her tears nearly broke his spark; but he steeled himself, and without looking at her for more than a second he pried her hands off of his bicep and continued to pack. Ironhide had to turn off his audio processors or he knew he would give in and break down, letting her get what she wanted and that was to stay here. Why didn't she see that he was doing this for her? This was to protect her. He had to do this for her benefit.

So why did such hate and anger course through their connection directed at him?

All October wanted was to spend just a few more hours with her brothers. Rarely did she get to see them; being active duty and all, that is. How could Ironhide do this to her? Didn't they have something? Pleas fell upon his deaf ears and soon enough her begging had stopped and now she just sat on the bed with the blanket pulled around her, softly sobbing.

When her bag was packed, he looked back at her and his ears seemed to spark. "Are we going to do this the hard way?" his gruff hard voice asked. October shook her head and looked at him with puffy red eyes. Silently she was begging him not to do this. Remembering the poking feeling she had felt before, the prodding she had done herself, she thought to test that as a last ditch effort.

Her deep seated sorrow she used to push at what she remembered from before. Ironhide's eyes widened slightly, and he rubbed at his chest. Then his eyes narrowed and then the subtly from his mind she was shoved, and before she could try again a wall was in the place she had felt the other emotions. "I am not falling for that. You will not sway me on this decision, Little Spark. Let's go."

October knew it was over. nothing else she could say or do would sway him. Baring her teeth she snarled, "I hate you!" Then she took off running. Away from him, away from Ratchet who had choked on air, away from her twin bothers with identical looks of shock and horror. Most of all she ran away from the gut wrenching pain that wreaked havoc over Ironhide's expression.

"October!" He called after her but she was already gone. Air, why couldn't he breathe? Oh, Primus! His Spark, the pain. Was- was it going out? "October?" his voice was weak and he stumbled to sit on the bed, her bag had fallen from his hands the moment she had yelled. "Oc- Octo-"

"Calm down," Ratchet instructed. The twins sent sympathetic looks towards Ironhide. they had been subjected to her misgiven hate before. This must be the first time that she and John had a fight. Nero grabbed October's bag to put into the truck while Thor went to find their sister. They knew how she felt. It had been about a year since they last saw each other and their time together had been about four hours. not including sleep.

October was hiding and crying when Thor opened the cabinet door. Ever since she was a five year old she had always hid here to cry or just get away when she was at the mansion. "Hey sis," Thor said as she sat outside of the small cubby hole.

She didn't want to talk to anyone. Hell, she kept slapping away the probe that tried to get her attention through the now open mind link. It was obviously an apology and a plea for her to return. At this moment she didn't want to hear it. The pain was fresh to her. Ironhide couldn't understand. "Go away."

"He's totally in love with you." Thor said in a girlish singsong voice. A smile cracked over her lips at the horribly girlish sound he made as he spoke. This was why it had always been him to come after her to cheer her up. Nero was more logical and sometimes he just didn't understand that when emotionally unstable, like now, that his logic meant nothing. But Thor was able to joke and make her smile. She forgot about her pains and worries around him.

"No he's not," she said through her sniffles. Ironhide couldn't be in love with her. They had only just began dating, literally, in human terms. Besides it was her that was in love with him. Everyone knew that the girl fell in love first and it was always unrequited.

"Puh-lease," Thor said gaining a small chuckle from her. "John really does love you," the seriousness in his tone had October hesitating in denying it. "You really don't see it, do you?" Thor looked into the cubby to see her shaking her head negatively, "His eyes barely ever leave you. It's like he thinks you'll break the second he leaves. If anything were to happen to you when he was away he would blame himself because he let you down by taking his eyes off of you. How much you want to bet he's beating himself up over earlier?

"Actually his reaction now is more than enough to prove that right. He had left to go on a run with Nero and I. It was then that you were attacked by that thing. John probably is blaming himself. Freaking out himself. The second he left, took his eyes off of you, you nearly die. Where do you think he feels safest?"

October realized a few seconds later that Thor wanted an answer. Thinking about it she came up with one answer, "at the base. With the rest of the Au- the Alpha team."

"Where was he going to bring you before you ran off?" Shame made october hide her face, "to this Alpha team, right? Where he feels like he can trust them to cover his back in a battle and not let him get killed. He was bringing you back to these people to protect you. To make sure you were safe."

"I- I didn't think of it like that. All I- I- it was like he was taking me from you. We only just got to see each other again. Will- do you think he hates me? Oh, God. I told him that." October looked at her brother like she was five again and he was a nine year old explaining how to do something. Her wide brown eyes were so innocent and dependent on him.

"Of course he doesn't hate you. He loves you too much to ever hate you." But this time not even his words would soothe her. He knew it too. That's why he didn't try to stop her when she bolted. The only one that could reassure her that John didn't hate her, was John himself.

Ratchet had only just finished calming Ironhide down enough that the old bot wouldn't cause a self induced spark attack when October barreled right into poor Ironhide. This was something of a private matter so he left.

October held onto Ironhide like her life depended on it and she tried to force open the mind link she had. Not an ounce of understanding about it, but she felt it was necessary to share her feelings. Like a naked body she was bare to him through her mind. "I'm sorry," she said into his chest. "Please, I don't hate you." She didn't know what she was asking him with the please, but through the link he entered he knew it was everything.

His forgiveness. Love. To not hate her, or hold it against her. To understand her. She just needed time. Her brothers had been gone for so long and she only just got them back. Obviously he could relate but she didn't get that. his own brothers, his faction, had been fractured and split up across the universe and he didn't even know if half of them were dead or alive. Ironhide understood her unwillingness to leave them. now though she felt more than willing to go with him. To let her brothers stay here while she followed the hulking metal giant to the ends of the earth if necessary.

"Hush, Little Spark," he cooed. Primus, he was around Lennox way too much, "everything is alright."

"Perhaps not!" Ratchet said rushing his false human body back into the room, lab coat flying behind him, "Starscream's signature is nearing here. We have to go. Now!"

Ironhide's entire body tensed. Would she hate him again if he forced her to leave? Instead of fighting or hating him October took his hand and began leading him out of the large house towards his revving form. Thor and Nero were in their own jeep waiting to see the three off first. "Wait, what happened to Jarvis?" October suddenly asked remembering Jarvis' disappearance earlier too.

"Right here, Ma'am." He said from hidden in the Jeep.

Knowing her faithful manservant was alive and would continue to stay that way she was happy to allow Ironhide to lift her into his form. They drove quickly to the gate and out of it before stepping on the gas and going miles over the limit. To the base. Thor and Nero would be coming, Jarvis too, because they had told Ironhide on their run earlier that they would join nest if only for October. There was nothing anyone could do about Jarvis, though.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One: Ironhide You Idiot

Optimus Prime was not happy to hear about the new humans being brought on board with the knowledge of the bots. With a heavy sigh, he knew there was nothing he could do about it though. Already the two Autobots were en route, and Starscream had been sighted in the air. But with several of the Autobot Jets being deployed, he had run off with his tail between his legs. Optimus had no doubts that he would slink back sooner or later.

:Ironhide and Ratchet have returned.: Someone said over the comm links. It was obviously one of the humans, more specifically one at the guard station.

"Autobot's stay in alternate forms until the two soldiers have been debriefed and the civilian is brought to civilian quarters." Optimus's order was the law and no 'Bot dared to do otherwise. Their forms watched as in rolled Ironhide and Ratchet with a completely normal human jeep between them. Ratchet went to his own quarters in the medical bay while Ironhide parked in his designated spot.

October got out of his form with Ironhide's holoform to lead the jeep to a parking spot. A low whistle escaped Thor while Nero just looked at the cars. "If working here means I can afford this beauty," Thor said looking over a yellow Lamborghini, "then sign me up two years ago."

"Is this how you afforded your truck?" Nero asked as his eyes scanned the shut down cars. "That Topkick is what, seventy to ninety K right?"

"Oh come on, lets move it." October interrupted before Ironhide said a word, "it's illegal enough that you're here. Let's not dawdle." Her brothers rolled their eyes but followed her anyway. Jarvis had stayed silent about everything but still he followed her when she led them to where Will and Epps would be. Ratchet kept a close eye on her and saw that as the door closed she got a look of longing and fear. She did not wish to be separated from Ironhide.

Bitting her lip from saying anything she led her brothers and Jarvis to where Ironhide had instructed. Captain William Lennox and Sargent Robert Epps were waiting for them there. If she wanted she could have just left and gone back to Ironhide at this point, and dear God did she want to, but she knew it was her responsibility to stay here with the three people she had dragged into this mess. Sure she had slightly planned to drag Jarvis in at a much later date. Her brothers were also considering joining N.E.S.T. but they hadn't made a definite decision, and she had just taken that away from them. She had to be the worst sister ever.

The feeling of being hugged and a negative to her sisterly thoughts invaded her mind, and she had to look around to make sure she wasn't actually being hugged.

Slightly freaked she realized how odd this entire weekend, from Friday when she had the first weird day dream until now (late Saturday), had been. The unnatural pokes and prods in her mind had only been an after thought due to her distractions. First had been her brothers, then Ironhide initiating a relationship (holy shit, did that really happen?!), her odd behavior with going through with threatening to have her mother kicked off the premises, and the tiny Cybertranion CD player. Her vacation, more like hellcation, had not been slow in the least.

It was only now that everything seemed to be slowing down and she had a second to think that she noticed the oddity within her mind. Insecurity ate at her, and when the formless being tried to reassure her with a hug she squirmed away, and blocked it. "- any questions?" Captain Lennox's voice caught her attention and she looked around. At least this time when she had slightly spaced it hadn't been due to a hormonal sex like dream. "Good, now Lieutenant Corporal Monk will show Jarvis to where he will stay for the time being. You two are to follow me."

"What about me?" October asked when her brothers saluted Lennox.

"You have an upset Ir- John to deal with." Epps chuckled but stopped the moment he nearly messed up and gave away John real identity. But Will had trouble hiding a smirk. He had dealt with Ironhide's mood long enough that he was able to find a vast amount of humor when it was someone else's turn.

"Wait, what did I do?" Her oblivious tone matched her dumbstruck look. Honestly she had no idea what she had done. Though there was no doubt that she had done something. Something tickled the back of her mind. It was not the poking feelings she had blocked but at the same time it was. Perhaps Ironhide actually knew something about that. "Whatever, I'll catch up to you two later."

October entered the hanger with all of the 'Bot's in time to see Ironhide nail his fist right into Sunstreaker's cheek. The yellow Lambo that Thor had been ogling flew across the room, and fell not far from her. He stood up and retreated mumbling about how his paint had better not be scratched.

"I'm gone- what, ten minutes?- and you're already beating the hell out of the terror twins?" October joked. Only she was rewarded with Ironhide making a disgruntled sound with the slightest bit of steam exiting his nose. Then he turned his back on her and folded back down into his alternate mode and with an audible click locked his doors. "Oh, real adult like. The silent treatment. What did i even do?"

Ironhide stayed silent and in turn the rest of the bots sealed their lips too. Not one said a thing to her. Her brown orbs looked over every bot that was here. Ratchet was still gone, and since her own disappearance, Optimus had left along with some others, leaving only the two sets of twins, Bee, Jazz, and Ironhide. One set of twins just don't like her, so that's why neither Sunstreaker or Sideswipe kept quiet. Mudflap and Skids probably would have spilled an answer for her had they not both tried at the same time. The other found that offensive, and a whole new fight broke out. October didn't know it, but Ironhide had commed Bee, telling him if he answered her, there would be Pit to pay. Jazz, as much as he liked October, wished to see how this played out so he stayed silent.

Good mood soured, she scowled and tried all of his doors. He would not give, and in anger she slapped his door. It hurt her more than him, but it got the point across. She was not happy with him. Turning away from Ironhide she stormed off. Maybe Ratchet could shine some light on this situation.

As soon as she entered the Med Bay something poked her from the opposite side of the wall she put up. Unlike before when the poke would cary some type of emotion this poke was a plain poke due to the barrier. "Why are you not with Ironhide?" The bright yellow emergency bot asked not even looking at her. When he received no reply he looked at her and took note of her raised emotions and the few tears she tried to hide by wiping them away rapidly.

:What did you do, Ironhide?: Ratchet asked through the comm. Didn't they just have and get over their first fight an hour ago? He could see it now; in ten minutes they will be over this fight and another few hours another fight will begin. On and on this will go until the war is over and still it will continue between these two. Perhaps he will be offlined long before that.

:Me?: Ironhide roared through the comm causing Ratchet to flinch minutely. :She's the one blocking the bond! A large wall. I can't even get through to her now.: Ironhide grumbled some more before Ratchet cut the line forcing his unhappy mumblings to die too.

"Why are you blocking the bond?" Ratchet said aloud to her. If she was upset that Ironhide was ignoring her it was her own fault. Everyone with half a processor knew that blocking the bond would create worry, anger, and many more unpredictable emotions.

"What bond?" She asked, confused.

Ironhide that idiot! He hadn't told her about the bond yet? Of course she would try to block it then. Having an unknown presence in one's processor would be cause enough to try and block it.

:You fragger!: Ratchet yelled angrily. He didn't even bother to make it a private comm to Ironhide. :It's no wonder she is blocking you!:

:What the slag did I do? I haven't done anything!: Ironhide argued back.

:Precisely! If she doesn't know about the bond how did you expect her to react?:

:Bond? Yo is dat the bond we saw earlier, Bee?: Jazz asked. But the moment he did both Ratchet and Ironhide started up private link. :Dat be why Ol' 'Hide angry so much!:


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-Two: Bond Talk

Beta gets on around my seven o'clock. I have to wait twelve hours after that to even get to an interneted area (cough work cough) before I can post. It's not only me that works on this story now. If my Beta is busy or can't get to it you will have to wait for them too. Normally I would gladly post 2-3 chapters a day and post as soon as I finish but now I have a Beta. They need their time too, they have a life too. Respect it and enjoy the chapters when they are posted :)

"Ratchet~!" October whined. He had gotten a blank look to his face though it had morphed to anger a while ago and she has been since calling to him. He wasn't answering her questions as to what a bond was.

Her head throbbed due to the wall she had put up. Whatever was on the other side would not stop pestering her, and now it had given her a small headache. Finally fed up with everything, she threw the wall away so quickly that she had caught her harasser by surprise. 'What?!' she screamed and her eyes rolled back.

Had Ironhide not been torn from his own comm connection with Ratchet, the Doc Bot wouldn't have noticed October faint. Scanning her, he dully noted that the connection had torn further open. The small human was then deposited on the bunk she had occupied more often than any of the soldiers. The strain of their bond was affecting her. Ratchet wouldn't be surprised if this wasn't the first time she had passed out due to it. He needed to find a way to slow it down or it could tear her mind apart.

:Ironhide,: Ratchet said. All traces of anger at the other 'Bot set aside for now. Odd, Ironhide didn't reply.

:Ratchet!: Bumblebee cried through the comm on the open link. :Ironhide's processor just cut off!:

Oh, so it affected him just as much as her. :He is fine Bumblebee. Leave him be.:

Ironhide had been constantly trying to get October to lower the wall. When she had thrown the entire barrier away he felt the bond opening more. Then she had screamed at him and he felt the bond pop open and he was thrown into it. It was just like their shared dreams from before, only now it felt different.

"What-! Oh, uh. Damn, must have passed out or something." October ran a hand through her hair and Ironhide rolled his eyes. Now he understood some more things. It was so easy to understand now that he knew she had no idea of what was going on.

"October," Ironhide said and his servos (for in this world- their world- he was in his small bi-pedal form) grabbed her shoulders. She pushed his hands away, and mumbled something about needing to become coherent and waking up. "You want to know about the bond, right?"

"What-? How do-? Oh right. Figment of my imagination. I know that theres a bond thing so you must know it too." She sat on the ground, so he moved to sit behind her. His servos worked just as well as his human hands had, and in no time her braid was out and he began again. It was obviously calming for her.

"This is part of the bond. Shall I explain it to you, or are you just content with me playing with your hair?" He was joking about the last part, but with the bond as open as it was he could feel that she enjoyed the way his servos felt against her head then, as he worked the sections of her hair around each other.

"Start with what you mean by 'this is part of the bond'." She mumbled. He tied her hair off,knowing that she might freak the moment she knew what he meant. October was a smart girl and would easily put the other three and this one together.

"I mean my mind and your mind are connected. This form is my mind mingling with yours." He counted in his head and was surprised it took her to the count of eight to react. Though it was not the shocked or surprised 'what' that he had expected.

"Fuck me!" She yelled out loud and shot up to be standing. He knew it was a human saying meaning that they were screwed or cheated. But he could just take it at face value.

"Gladly," he huskily said as he stood and brought her to him. October's eyes widened but she couldn't find the strength in her to pull away or even attempt to. He smirked knowing that she felt the same way. "But right now we have other things to deal with. This bond means were are mates."

"Please tell me you mean like the Australians." He couldn't connect to the internet while in bond like this, and she saw his confusion. His form faded just a bit and only for a second before it returned full force. He had awakened just enough to activate his internet connection, knowing he would need it to help explain everything. "No. Not like the Australians."

"Like the Brits?"

"Like wolves." If it was possible, he knew October would have fainted. Instead she just glitched out, and her mind completely shut down.

As Ironhide booted back up, he had to admit maybe that wasn't the best way to start. Last he knew she was in the Med Bay, so he would go there to find her. "Why are you up, and not her?" Ratchet asked when Ironhide's bulk entered the bay,but October slept on.

"She glitched." He lifted her limp body up and was about to leave when Ratchet blocked the way. "She didn't take the knowledge of us being mates the best of ways."

"Did you start or end with that?" Ratchet knew just how frail humans could be and sometimes certain things overloaded their minds.

"Considering she glitched right after- both."

.~:*:~.

October was wide awake, but tried putting off opening her eyes. Maybe she could pretend to be comatose for the rest of her life. But why? She had not been against having sex with Ironhide in her dreams, and apparently he hadn't either, considering he really was in the dreams. So why was she so against being his mate? Don't I get a say in this? her mind cried, but her heart answered. Even if she had gotten a say, what would she have said? She would have been happy to go along and say yes.

Which begs the question why was she so against this now? The only answer she could come up with was that she wasn't against it, but more shocked by it. So shocked that it had caused her mind to shut off for a period of time.

"October, I know you are awake."

"I know it too." She grumbled, but sat up.

As she pulled away from what she laid on, a warmth left. Not like coming inside from the blazing heat into air conditioning, but more like watching a movie and when it gets intense, you get that feeling inside of you. Then she realized she was laying on Ironhide's chest above his spark.

"How long-" A shiver ran down her back ad she sent a glare at him. It was a good 'I'm turned on by you' shiver sent from him. Asshole was messing with her now. Two could play this game. She could either do it the nice way or the mean way. The thought of the threat of a wall made her sour, and in turn him. So instead, she closed her eyes and relaxed.

"Son of a glitch!" He cried, as his fans kicked on to cool his extremely heated systems down. What the hell had she thought about to send such a wave of arousal at him?

"Are we going to be serious now or are we going to keep this up? Because trust me, I can deal with arousal. Can you?" This was a game for another time.

"It's been ten minutes." He grudgingly gave in. As much as he would like to play they had some serious things to talk about. "Are we going to talk now or will you glitch again."

"I'm fine," she grumbled, "so instead of jumping into the deep end of this conversation perhaps we will start with the wading pool. What is the bond?"

"That's the deep end. Our bond is Sparkmates. We are, in the loosest of human terms, basically married. For life. The bond itself connects us, makes our sparks one. Ratchet is trying to figure out how, considering you're a human," October sent him a look with rolling her eyes. "You essentially don't have a spark. He thinks it has something to do with human's having souls while our sparks are our souls."

She nodded. That made some sense. Some humans had souls while others didn't and some believe in them while the rest don't. October was a believer. In her mind everyone had souls and depending on their crimes, like murder rape and hate, they lost a bit of it.

"How did this bond even begin? Or form? Whatever the terminology is."

Ironhide chuckled. He was glad she was accepting it. Though the bond, which he hesitantly used not wanting her to block him again, he felt that she was open to this idea. More than open actually, she poked back at his hesitation and it was an invitation to look at her feeling and emotions. A heavy breath left him as he relaxed, she hadn't known just how much he had needed to know that.

"Initially it started, to Ratchet's guess, when you saved Anna. She is a charge of mine, though a guardian bond, and that bond was reaching out to include you. Had Ratchet not been a glitch, it would have formed that way. It would have been a year before we even reached this point," he poked at her letting her know he meant only the sharing of emotions.

"So what caused it to jump as it had? To change the... form of bond?" He nodded, she had guessed right about what exactly happened. The form of bond had diverted from guardian to lover.

"Remember when you ended up in my chassis?" October remembered that well because that day was the first she had dreamed of- yeah she remembered it. "Ratchet had thought I was glitching so he initiated a forced transformation. Unable to control where you ended up, you were in my spark chamber. "To make matters worse," she scowled at him confused. Did he or did he not like this bond? "It's dangerous for anything but what is supposed to be, to be near my spark. It could cause it to stop.

"He injected a virus into me to force my chest to open." Ironhide just thinking about it accidentally initiated the opening of his chest. His spark was yearning for contact with her. Rarely do spark bonded couples not combine their sparks daily. Looking in, October recognized where she had woken up greatly disoriented that day. The blue ball was lit up blindingly and looked to be throbbing. That was his heart!

Ironhide watched as her pupils dilated, and she went into a zombie like state. Her mind blanked of everything except wanting contact with his spark. His chest refused to close and his servo's felt like the weight of Cybertron was on them, forcing them to not stop her. "No!" Ironhide cried, no matter how much he wanted this,he knew she had no idea what would happen to her. He couldn't let that happen!

October recognized though the bond Ironhide's panic, so she sent him a wave of reassurance. But that only caused his panic to grow. 'Complete the bond,' something whispered, and she rocked slightly. His spark was literally calling to her. Like the spark, Ironhide was able to speak to her but his words held more sway, 'please!' he said to her. She would never mention how he had begged to anyone or even himself. Knowing he did not want the bond completed, yet at least, she managed to force herself to pull back, breaking the spell she was under.

She rolled right off of him, and fell the five feet the the metal slab he was laying upon. His chest snapped shut with a loud bang. "So, that virus," October said out of breath.

"It shut down my body and when I fell you touched my spark. The bond we had changed. Obviously it's not a completed bond."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three: The New Troops and The Idiot Twins

Yay 23!

Knowing that the threat of Starscream was over, October was forced to return home with Jarvis three days later. Or rather, she was forced to return Jarvis the the mansion and she had to go back to her shack. It was closer, and she could bike to the base from there. Ironhide sunk low on his tires when he finally reached her house. No matter what he had said or done to get her to stay at base, it came down to one thing, she was a civilian. Letting her onto the base alone was so many security breaches even Prowl would have frazzled his processor. No way were the humans letting her stay. Primus forbid that horrible human, Galloway, ever found out. But even Prime was against letting her stay.

'She's a human, Ironhide. Not even military. How do you think she would fare? The small 'Con you delivered nearly took her out. Imagine if it was Starscream or Barricade that tried to take your young friend out' was what Prime had said, and Ironhide reluctantly agreed. It passed over his head that Prime had called her his young 'friend' and not 'mate'. That should have made Ironhdie realize that perhaps Optimus didn't know the entire situation. After all, that day when they returned, Optimus had been busy with data pads that had been delivered and had shut off his comm, save for the emergency link. Overcome with sorrow, his shoulders slumped like a child that was denied the toy he wanted; and his spark was literally pouting.

Optimus had been at a loss for words. When has Ironhide ever, ever, pouted? Perhaps something was wrong with the weapon specialists CPU.

But now Ironhide locked his doors and extinguished his holoform. "Pouting isn't going to help." October told him, and her hand reached out to rub the dashboard. Oohh~ that felt good. "I'll call Sam and make up with him. Whenever he goes to the base I'll come too. We'll still see each other. I promise."

Little did they know that a month later Sam would be over Mikaela. That month the two had been happy to just be in each other presence and October was happily boosting Ironhide's ego. "Amazing!" She cheered as he pulled off several quick shots while moving and dodging imaginary opponents. Joy had lit up her face as the cold month chilled her body. October hated the months she was named for; she liked the warmer months rather than the bitter chill that would be coming with the upcoming wintery months.

Her cheering cut off when Ironhide pointed his cannon at the door. Sam just rolled his eyes while a blond girl, half as pretty as Mikaela and that was being generous, clung onto his arm. "Ya feel lucky, Punk?" Ironhide was making a reference to the first time he had met Sam. In an odd way it was sentimental.

Sam felt the same way for he grinned up at Ironhide, he was going to threaten to bring Mojo here (in reference to that sam night when Mojo pissed on him) but the girl whimpered. "Put it away 'Hide." Sam said and reluctantly Ironhide let his canons power down. "Hey, October, come meet Carly! My new girlfriend."

Being friend with Carly would be impossible for October. It went against the code. Being friends with Sam was fine, mostly because Mikaela was hoping he would come around apologize and they could work things out, but Carly was the enemy immediately. She had taken away the man that Mikaela loved. Sam was just there, not the enemy but neither the ally.

"October!" Carly's voice grated on October's nerves. Why do some girls speak that high pitched!? "I love your name, do you mind if I call you Toby?" Before October could tell her where to take her false friendship and shove it, she continued. "Of course you don't. How about we go for lunch, Toby?"

"Call her that again and see if I'm kidding," Ironhide growled and his cannon's lit up. He knew how much October hated that name without the bond to reinforce that knowledge. It may have been also due to the bond that he was liking Carly less than the twin terrors. Though he felt like even without the bond he would still like her as much.

"Yeah, October hates the name Toby. It would be wise to call her nothing but her full name." Sam knew that Ironhide was serious. He had seen how close October had gotten to the trigger happy Bot. He knew that in a few weeks that something terrible was going to happen. While yes he did already regret being the cause for it he knew he had to. "And uh the 'Bot, as I've said, is Ironhide."

Carly stayed quiet and Sam said his goodbyes. As they were leaving October noticed the sneer Carly shot Ironhide's back. Anger and hate for the new girl flared in October and it was only because they were gone that she didn't do anything but seethe in her anger. A wall was put up between Ironhide and her, causing her eyes to widen and look at the bot that was slowly stealing any feelings of love in her. She may have thought that she loved him before but compared to now that had been a small baby preteen fangirl crush.

"I wish to shoot her already, I do not need any more encouragement from you." Ironhide said in a joking manor. But he had only blocked of her angry feelings and not his own. She knew just how serious he was. "Besides we shouldn't let her ruin today."

Today? What was today? Before she could give voice to her questions, he had blocked all of her feelings from flowing into him actually and just left his side open, a voice rang in her ears. The small bluetooth device had been tinkered with, just a small bit, by another newbie 'Bot to earth. Wheeljack. Upon him first completing the small project, she had been wary of it due to the many storied that had been shared with her from Ratchet.

She, and him, had been very lucky for her wariness. Wheelie not so much. The poor Decepticon RC had been forced to be the test subject three weeks ago. Ratchet had been furious when he had to rebuild half of the small bots face. But when given the excuse 'hey at least it wasn't my face' from October he had been a little less upset. Wheeljack had the scare of his life when Ironhide barely, but purposely, missed hitting him with a cannon for good measure. Three false ones later, she had a working device that was tuned for comming with the 'Bots if need be.

Anyway,the voice that rang in her ears was Optimus Prime. "Time to introduce the newbies. Autobot's let's roll." Secretly he loved this part. No one loved it nearly as much as Ironhide due to him being allowed to point his cannons at the group of people while making some scream like little girls.

"Coming, Little Spark?" October smiled fondly at the name he had begun to call her more and more.

She had a one she wanted to try out for him; here goes. "Of course, Tough Stuff." Eh. She liked it but it wouldn't be one to call him all the time. One to use sarcastically or endearingly or to just show that she was not serious or overly serious. Let him go crazy with figuring that out, ha! But it was like when he called her Sweet Spark or Sparkling. Either she had done something really good or he was making fun of her in that order for the names.

"I can live with that one." Jokingly, she had told him some human terms of endearments females used. Bunny had ended with a threat, Baby came with a shudder, but worst had been Daddy. He looked so disgusted by it that she had fallen into a serious fit of laughter. She had to agree with him though. Unless that guy was the father of your children and you're referring to that when you call him daddy she couldn't understand it. It was like as you're fucking someone and calling them daddy just what are you thinking about? Screwing your dad? That had both Ironhide twitching and her gagging.

Ironhide lifted her up, and brought her to the 'Bot's hanger. His room where they had been several times, was finally about to be finished. (those few times were when the work there had been put on pause to do repairs on the base) He set her down, and drove with her sitting on his hood to the first hanger. She was about to learn why this first hanger was always empty.

All of the bots were there at the moment or would be there soon. Optimus was parked with Jazz on his left and Ratchet on Jazz's left. There was a spot on Optimus's right that was left open and then there was bright red Mirage. Ironhide took that open spot and October realized that this was ranking order. At least in the front it was. They were in an arrow formation like birds flying south. Sideswipe joined on the left with his yellow brother on the right. These were probably set up like this due to their coloring. A yellow bot behind a yellow bot and a red behind a red might cause some confusion if the soldiers couldn't see from their spot, so they were behind the bot of opposite colors.

Two blue cars pulled up behind the Lambo twins, and October figured the one on the left side with an RC car and laptop, was Wheeljack with his two little friends Wheelie and Brains. This other blue one must be the mysterious Jolt she hadn't met yet. The most obvious reason the last two cars were where they were was because they needed to be separated for anything of importance like this. No way in hell would Mudflap and Skids be able to keep their bickering down unless they were as far apart as they were. Skids, the green car, was on her side behind level headed Jolt. While most times it was Mudflap that caused their fights it was always Skids that escalated it. Not thinking, Mudflap would do something that was way to easy to insult, and Skids always took that opportunity.

"Attention!" William Lennox yelled. His ever faithful friend Sargent Epps standing by his side. "You have elected to be part of our team, N.E.S.T.; and after going through many tests and disclosure procedures you are the few that are left." The thirty or so men didn't move or bat an eye. "Today is your last chance to leave. Now is the last chance you get to leave. After this point, you will not be allowed to leave." Not a man or woman moved. "Then so be it. I am your higher officer, and you are to report to me, but I have a higher officer. I have quite a few actually. Only a few idiots do not get say over me." (obvious reference to Mudflap and Skids along with the two small bots) "So they too are your superiors, and if one of them says jump you do not question it. The few who have no say over you will be pointed out. If you do as they say, you do it at your own risk. Optimus Prime is now officially the highest ranking officer here."

Will and Epps moved to the side so the large flamed Peterbuilt truck could pull forward. From the grill Optimus spoke, "N.E.S.T. stands for Non-biological Extraterrestrial Species Treaty. For the Alpha team of N.E.S.T. is us, the Autobot's. We are Autonomous Robotic Organisms. Our foes are the Decepticons who wish to destroy Earth." Optimus' body finally began to shift as he transformed. Now he stood thirty two feet high in front of the, on average, six foot tall humans. It was obvious which soldiers were Marines, for they kept a straight face and their eyes stayed forward, while the rest let emotions show and their gazes either flickered to Optimus or stayed on him.

"My team," Optimus moved to face the left slightly and Jazz shifted with 'Yo', "Jazz my first lieutenant, and Ironhide our weapons specialist." He turned to Ironhide only just noticing October, "and his human October." Ironhide began to shift before October could get off of him, and it was clear that she was not used to it when a small shriek escaped her. She trusted Ironhide, but that didn't lessen her fear. If anything,t her fear and shock caused him amusement.

"Asshole," she growled so that only he could hear it.

Ironhide just ignored her and powered up his cannons. "Who's first?" he asked and pointed his arms at the soldiers, some of whom shook with fear. Marines were always Ironhide's favorite. Especially because October's twins just looked up him with boredom in their eyes.

"Ratchet, our Medical officer; he will be yours too should any of you get injured." Ratchet shifted, and so did Mirage. "Our infiltrator Mirage, our hand to hand combat specialist Sideswipe and his twin Sunstreaker." The Lambo twins not only shifted, but with identical movements, let their swords slide out of their subspace and swung at each other meeting in the middle with what looked like sparks. Always the two for making an entrance. "Jolt is our second medical officer studying under Ratchet. Wheeljack our inventor, with Brains and Wheelie," (honestly what did those two do?) "Finally Mudflap and his brother Skids. More of our enforcers are out. Our Jets are patrolling the skies, while Bumblebee, our scout, is with his charge. We have heard news that a few more of our ranks are also in the galaxy system and will be here soon."

"At ease soldiers." Will called; and many of them relaxed, while others gawped like fish out of water at the bots. The Marines still stood tall, but were more relaxed than before. Some even looked around. "Speak to the bots, get to know them. Because from here on out they are your team. Also, the ones who you are to not answer to unless the situation is dire or we are under attack,t are from Ratchet and Mirage back, save for Jolt."

"Yo man, dat ain't coo. Why dem bots get say an' we'z don't?" Mudflap said. Lennox sighed and knew how this would turn out so he yelled out a warning to the soldiers to stand back.

"Because you'z stupid man, yo ugly mug can't spit shiz that makes any good." Skids replied.

"We has the same mug, you glitch." Mudflap shot back. With an outraged sound Skids launched at his brother. they ended up hitting Wheeljack, who stumbled and would have hit Sunstreaker, had the yellow bot not been so worried about getting his paint scratched.

Sideswipe moved out of the way when the two rolled at him and Jolt. Jolt, on the other hand, was knocked into Mirage, who somewhat unwillingly caught the blue bot. Ironhide grumbled as he passed October to Jazz. Ratchet was too busy flailing trying to keep from falling on the humans because of the twin idiots. Skids had thrown Mudflap who hit Ratchet. Fearing the falling bot, Will yelled for the soldiers to scatter, which they promptly did, and they stayed close to the walls.

Jazz, now having October, barely managed to dodge Skids who, ironically, skidded to a stop where the silver bot had been seconds ago. "Enough!" Optimus yelled just as Ironhide caught Mudflap. Skids went to use the opportunity to get his brother but Ironhide's fist landed on his helm, stopping him dead and sending him to the floor.

"It's the brig for the both of you;" Ironhide said, and grabbed Skids. He began to drag the two to the improvised brig. God he wanted this place finished already.

"Yo! 'Hide! What am I ta do with your Femme?" Jazz called out.

"She'll be fine with her brothers. I've got punishment to deal out."

"Jazz," October said lowly making Jazz look at her. "I'm not a cat, put me down." He was holding her out towards Ironhide's retreating back by the back of her shirt.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-Four: Love Is Not Easy

DA FLUFFINESS! BEWARE TEH EXTREME FLUFFINESS BETWEEN THEM!

Two Marines looked at October with narrowed eyes and she gave a small chuckle, backing away. Perhaps hanging from Jazz would have been better. "I was going to tell you. Sooner or later." She said in a half assed defense.

One of the twin Marines grabbed her and tossed her over his shoulder. Her squeal alerted several other soldiers and bots to her slight situation. But her laughter diffused it, for the most part. The bots that hadn't been there that day a month ago had no idea that his new set of twins were as bad as the two they had. not only were they smart and for the most part calculating like the twin terrors, but they were also likely to fight on their time off. Together while working they were a great team, but the moment they are free from duty (and their sister is not there for them to terrorize as they were now) they were as prone to arguing and fighting as the twin idiots.

Ironhide poked at her questioningly. She couldn't reply with anything but begging to be saved even though the humor was passed greatly onto him. Thor had carried October a bit farther away from everyone and his fingers probed her sides. "No! No, no no!" she cried out dying in laughter. "Mercy! Mercy! Uncle! Please just no!"

Nero rolled his eyes. He was being smart at this point. He had put one and one together and figured the missing John was Ironhide. So if Ironhide loved October as much as he thought, then the moment the black bot was sighted is when he was going to bolt. "We're going to have a serious talk later. You and that thing are together. This is something that has to be sorted."

If Thor hadn't been tickling her, she would have snarled; or her anger would have been passed to Ironhide. But as it was, the only thing that she focused on was trying to get air and stop her brother's harassing fingers. Nero suddenly tensed though neither of his siblings noticed. He contemplated alerting Thor but then decided this was payback for the Nair incident a few months ago.

He took off running and came to a stop near a group of other Marines his brother and him had gotten to know this past month. "That the sister you mentioned?" The Marine named Pete asked.

"And that's her pissed off looking boyfriend. Don't ask, seriously." He said pointed to Ironhide as he was making his way to the two siblings. Before Johnny could speak up he continued, "and this is payback for the Nair incident Thor told you about." Several Marines chuckled at that. They also wanted to see what Ironhide would do, if he would be a threat.

With the twin idiots in the brig, their helms dented greatly, Ironhide had returned. Silently, .he was just a bit worried about October. Though she sent him constant humor, he had felt her wish to be saved. Now he knew why. His hand slammed on the concrete next to Thor startling the Marine. October used her brother's distraction to escape and got to Ironhide's hand. He picked her up as she sat down, still working on catching her breath. "Yo! You abandoned me!" Thor yelled at Nero.

Ironhide had found the man's racing heart punishment enough, and was leaving with October. She found it necessary to stick her tongue out at her brother so Ironhide decided that it was necessary to inform her just what he wanted to do with that tongue that stuck out. Her face turned scarlet in color and she pulled her tongue in and faced away from her brothers.

It had become a game for them to embarrass or arouse the other at the most inopportune of times. Ironhide had thought it would be funny to send her thoughts of what would have happened had their first dream continued when she was being checked up by Ratchet. When the Med bot backed away from her, thinking it was his doing, she had cried out with the blame pointing directly at Ironhide. Ratchet believed her due to his intense knowledge of their bond.

It was after he was in a meeting with Optimus, Ratchet, and the secretary of defense and she had send him images of what she could do with her mouth and a popsicle, that they had put rules up. It was nearly impossible for him to look at Optimus for a week after that. Trying to explain why he was aroused so much that his plating was sparking to his higher up had ended with him storming away.

This time fell into the allowed category, but he felt her slight anger at him. So after this incident, he categorized family as an off limit time. They entered his training room, and when he sat her down, she slid off his hand to sit facing away from him. He began tinkering with a gun, but he was so experienced with this model that he was able to work on it without concentrating on it. His conscious nuzzled her upset one, and he kept at it till she melted. There was so much love in the nuzzling that it didn't take long at all.

October climbed up his arm carefully, as he had taught her, until she was seated at his shoulder leaning against his facial plating.

Not much later, Sam came by though Carly wisely stayed outside of Ironhide's room. "Come on, October, time to go home." It was so odd due to the early time. It had become normal for the two to stay until around ten or eleven at night. Now though, looking at her phone's time, it was only two in the afternoon. Fuck, she had forgotten lunch again. Neither Ratchet or Ironhide would be happy with that. Covering that thought up with confusion was easy, due to her actually being confused as to why they were leaving so early.

But who was she to argue? He was, after all, her ride. Then again, Bee was half the time, the other half Sam was using his shitty little car. "Okay, meet you at the hanger?" Sam gave a small nod and left. He was still going to be kind enough to let her say her goodbyes to her friend. "Don't forget that tomorrow I won't be coming. I'm helping Mikaela paint her apartment with her and her father. But I should be coming Wednesday."

"Of course, Little Spark." He picked her up and leaned forward to nuzzle her. October gave a small laugh before chastely kissing his cheek. "is that all I get?" He joked.

"Yes, now put me down before I lose my ride." Ironhide 'hmm'd at that considering what would happen if she missed her ride. Besides her being pissed, so would Optimus, Lennox, her two brothers possibly. Mikaela would find a way to beat him with his own leg if October didn't stay the night as the two had been planning for a week because of him.

"Alright," Ironhide said. His tone of voice was normal but she could feel his disappointment at her leaving early.

"Hey, don't worry, Tuff Stuff. We can still be in touch." Instead of setting her down, he stood up with her and began walking to the hanger where Bee would be to take them home. Ironhide wanted to know why she refused to let him bring her home. They could have a few more hours if she would just give in. But she was dead set against it honestly believing that if she gave in she would be using him because he'd drop her off only to come right back.

"I know," he said lowly to keep the soldiers that were wandering from hearing their conversation. "It just isn't the same though."

"You're telling me?" She asked with a small chuckle. "Come on, you're Ironhide. nothing can bring you down. Not even a day of separation. Aren't you tuff?"

"The tuffest," he said with pride.

"Damn straight. Now suck it up and keep your bond open so you can be a big softy with me. You got it, Tuff Stuff?" She pretended to act like Will did when chastising a soldier for being weak. Ironhide found it cute. She would never make a good leader, she was too soft, but she would be a wonderful friend to those in need when the leader was tuff.

"You got it, Little Spark."

They had arrived at the hanger and he set her down near Sam and a twitching Carly. "I will see you later." October removed her bluetooth device and gave it to Ironhide to put into one of his subspace pockets while he gave her a different one. This one was to his direct line, no phone necessary so no risk of 'Con hacking, and she put it into a pocket for safe keeping.

If anything were to happen, she was to use that to get in contact with him. Unfortunately, missing him did not count in that 'something' category as Will had warned. But their bond was good enough. While they could not use it to actually speak, (Ironhide didn't say anything but he figured it wouldn't be long until that started up,) but they easily shared emotions, and could use those emotions to symbolize things. Like how he was nuzzling her earlier. That was the same as when saying good bye, he had held her close to his face.

Ironhide waited until she left to leave and head back to his training room. As he turned, he saw several soldiers snickering while looking his way. The look he sent them shut them up immediately. Then, two Marines came to walk with him. "Let's talk." Nero said.

"About what?" He asked, not bothering to offer to pick them up. Ironhide only offered a ride to femmes, out of respect to them as the life givers, and those he deemed worth of his respect. As much as he liked October's brothers, he wasn't about to pick them up.

"The relationship you have with our sister." Ironhide suddenly changed direction. He was now headed to his quarters. They would be completed either tomorrow or the day after. It would be much more private there. As her partial blood relatives, he respected them only enough to tell them about his relationship. They were October's half brothers. She had to explain that that meant they had the same father but not mother.

They entered Ironhide's room and he closed the door. One wall was covered with plastic to keep the wiring that had been done safe. "Are you two having sex?" Thor asked out right and Nero rolled his eyes; how could he be related to such a tactless imbecile?

Ironhide's answer surprised them both. "No." Well in a way it did. In another way it gave way to many other thoughts.

One of which Thor spoke aloud, and caused Nero to slap his own face. "How is that even possible, I mean for you guys to even be active?" Ironhide contemplated telling him. He thought about telling the human male about the small USB like interfacing cable, but then he decided against it. That, he would leave to October.

"Do you have any future plans, at least? I've heard about how long you guys live. It's hundreds of times longer than the oldest human to ever have been recorded." Nero asked, after hitting his brother who was about to ask more questions that no one wanted to answer.

"If you are referring to when her spark will be extinguished by time, then unless she wishes me away, I will be there with her. Even after, for when I pass, my spark will enter the Well of Sparks and be with hers." He was not going to go into much detail about that. It included much of the bond and that was something shared between spark mates. When she passed, for there was no if about it, he would go with her. Hopefully. If the war is not over by then he will be fighting millennia longer before being allowed to cross over and be with her again.

"Do you plan to ever become active with her?" Thor asked after biting Nero's hand that covered his mouth.

"As all mates do. But do not worry, for it will neither be today or tomorrow." Ironhide hoped they would finish soon. He was blocking October from feeling his emotions because he wished not to alert her to anything.

The twins began to question him about more menial things, and he was just happy they were not trying to get any more information about his and October's personal life.

By the time the two left Ironhide, October was packed and waiting for Mikaela and her father to pick her up. As she sat on her porch, noting that her bike was still stolen from the time Mikaela and Sam broke up a month ago, she suddenly felt Ironhide nuzzling up to her apologetically. Sight irritation nagged at him, so she figured he hadn't wanted to irritate her with his own irritation.

To show him she was not mad at him as he tried to hide from her, hshe nuzzled back. Honestly, she had missed his presence more than gotten angry at him. Mikaela's father pulled up with her in the passengers side. October made a face. She's been spoiled with Ironhide's large size and spacious seating. Mikaela's father's small purple Toyota was probably the size of Ironhide's cab alone. Putting her book bag into the trunk, she gave Mikaela a tight smile as she squeezed into the back. Not only was it a tight space, but she dreaded telling Mikaela about Carly. For this past month, October had been the eyes and ears for Mikaela about Sam.

When Ironhide's curiosity touched her, she sent him the irritation she had felt earlier about Carly, hoping he would understand along with pity. He did surprisingly. Tonight was going to be long and filled with tears for Mikaela. She had been so hoping Sam would come around. Apparently not.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five: Screw Everything, Not in The Steamy Way Either

The next morning, even emotionally exhausted, Mikaela was more than ready to get to painting. "Go, scram," October said at Mikaela's father when he revealed his boss had asked for him to come into work. "You guys could use the extra cash. Besides, us girls will be blasting music and shaking our asses. Not sure if you really want to see that."

He quickly retreated after that information, and left the girls to begin working. October turned a playlist on she had created last night. I Just Wanna Run by The Downtown Fiction began to play. Out of tune and not even bothering to try and get into tune, the two girls began belting the song. Mikaela's mood lifted as the song went on, and they worked on painting the piss yellow living room an eggshell white color. The more songs that played the more they belted and the better they felt.

October wasn't exactly blocking Ironhide, but neither was she paying too much attention to him. Not that he minded or anything for her good mood rubbed off on him making him feel good which also lifted her mood even more. At one point, after moving onto the kitchen which was to be a stark white color, October took a paint brush when Mikaela'ls face fell and she decided she could stand feeling gross until later.

"'Kayla," October said from behind her friend to catch the girls attention. When Mikaela turned around she got the surprise of her life. "You are to follow Lord Sauron who will be the ruler of this Middle Earth soon!" October cried out once she removed her white hand from Mikaela's face. Uruk-hai for the win!"

A war of the world battle happened after that. Paint went everywhere, it seemed, except for the walls. The only reason the battle stopped was because October demanded a pause to answer her ringing phone. "Hello?"

October's good mood instantly soured startling Ironhide who had been enjoying it. "Sam, what do you want?" She asked as she left the room to growl at him.

"Actually I wanted to tell you something. I won't be bringing you to the base anymore." he said in a slightly apologetic voice.

"What? But- why?"

"Well you see, I won't be going to the base anymore. I'm going to college," he paused and in the background October heard Carly speaking, "in Washington. As in Washington DC. Sorry, just had to let you know. Bye, oh! And one more thing. When I told the bot's they said to tell you not to come anymore. Especially Ironhide."

October's heart broke, and before Ironhide could even begin to ask why, she blocked him out. It was like that first time again, before she knew about the bond. But this blockage was twice as strong. The strength was necessary for she couldn't let him know how much he had hurt her by making Sam tell her that.

At the same time, Ironhide was about to race out of the base to figure out why his spark mate had blocked him so thoroughly and suddenly, when Sam came in. "Hey, big man. Got some news from October. She doesn't want to come anymore. Said since I'm leaving she had no reason to."

Ironhide's optics widened then narrowed. He didn't believe it. She had been too happy around him to not want to be anymore. Sam must be manipulating her like he was trying to now. "Frag it, I'm going to talk to her then."

"Ironhide," Optimus said causing the bot to stop where he was. "If October wishes not to be around us anymore than you will not force her to be."

"I will not force her to do anything she doesn't want to." He gruffly said but was stopped by his higher up again.

"You are not to leave this base with the intention of finding her either. Sam has said that she wishes not to be bothered with us, and we shall respect that wish."

Fragging Sam and his Decpticon like actions! Ironhide cursed. He slammed against the barrier between October, but got nothing. For the barrier to be this strong, it had to be made up of one emotion. A single strong emotion. He felt the wall, and knew that it was pure pain.

"What did you say to her?" Ironhide asked. His cannons whirred to life but he didn't dare raise them; he knew if he did the little 'Con he had once called a friend would be blown to oblivion.

"Stand down, Ironhide!" Optimus ordered causing the weapon specialist to become even more irate.

Jazz watched from the side, shocked at everything. October would never wish 'Hide away like that. She was always too happy to be around the cranky old bot. He just couldn't believe that Optimus would force a Mech from seeing a Femme let alone his sparkmate. Something was going on and he would get to the end of it.

October was so angry. It hurt too much so she turned it to anger. Had she really meant so little to him? The phone in her hand went sailing and it smashed against the wall. The iPhone had stood no chance of surviving. The resulting crashing sound from the device had Mikaela running in to check on her friend. After having her heart broken just last night, she recognized that as what was ailing October.

Not even questioning when she had found someone to love, or who, Mikaela took a sobbing October into her arms, and crushed the small girls face to her chest. October clenched her hands and wailed. This was why she hated people. Why she wished for everyone, except Mikaela of course, to keel over and leave her alone. They just used and hurt you. Ironhide had made her trust him, made her fall in love and give her heart up, and look where that had led her. To such heart break that had her pathetically sobbing into her best friend's boobs.

Speaking of which, she pulled away and apologized for her outburst. "Wanna talk about it?" Mikaela asked.

"No." October said bluntly and then led Mikaela into the kitchen to get back to work cleaning and finishing painting. Half an hour passed before she spat it out, "why does everyone just suck? They use you and then spit you out. It's like they like giving you something to look forward to, then enjoy taking any hope you had left and tossing you out into the world. By then you're so pathetic that even the world doesn't want to chew you up."

To say that October wanted to die, in a way that didn't actually involve death, was an understatement.

"I- who?"

"It doesn't matter who he was. Why did he have to do it though? I never did anything but love him. Sure I had a few moods, but he and I got over it. We were moving forward. Or so I thought."

Mikaela listened as October ranted about whoever it was that hurt her. What confused her most was that she couldn't figure out who October was talking about. Obviously their relationship was still new, so that narrowed it down to people she had been with recently. But think and think as she might Mikaela could only remember October hanging around with the 'bot's recently- no? October wouldn't have-? With a bot?Actually, it fit so well that she nearly hit herself.

The bots were always, for the most part except for a select few, nice to human's. Nicer than most humans were to each other. With how reserved October was, it was so unlikely to have been a human guy she would give her heart to that Mikaela had actually pitied her friend a lot, thinking that she would be forever alone. A bot would actually make the perfect guy for October.

Now to figure out which one. October ranted on, not noticing her friend had not only stopped replying but had stopped working too. So the twin terrors were out. Mikaela had heard of that story. Wheeljack was way too new, and Wheelie disturbed Mikaela so he had to disturb October too. Brains and Wheelie were almost attached at the hip so that knocked him off too. Skids and Mudflap were way too volatile and would make the slightly skittish girl run and hide. Trigger happy Ironhide was going to be knocked off the list, but Mikaela remembered that October had called him a friend once or twice. It could be Bee too, due to having been friends with him first.

Optimus, while kind and caring, held an intimidating air about him that Mikaela was greatly aware of. October would end up freezing if he ever looked in her direction, so while he was moved to the unlikely list, with Ironhide, he was not completely knocked off. Who were the two other newish bots? Mirror or Image or something like that. Then there was J- Jo- someone, similar to Jazz in name. Those two were pushed to the same list as most of the bots. If it had been them, October would have mentioned their name a time or two, and Mikaela would have remembered.

As loud and 'gangsta' like as Jazz was, Mikaela knew how kind and caring that bot was so he was pushed to the unlikely list. Who was left? Ratchet? Pfft! Please, that bot did not have a kind or loving bolt in him. He was as likely as either set of twins.

Okay who was on the two possible lists? Bee was the only likely one. Then there was Ironhide, Jazz, Optimus, and- actually that was it.

"So who is it?" Mikaela asked, taking note that an hour had passed and October was still mumbling, though more to herself now, about this mystery person. "I've narrowed it down. Bee is the most likely, with Jazz next. Optimus is also a candidate. While I regret to add this bot, I have to; though i'm leaning more towards it being eighty percent not him and twenty percent chance it is. Ironhide."

October sputtered and made several sounds that were close to either auto, bot or autobot.

"Well? Spit it out? It has to be one of those four. You detest most human contact, let alone human men, and you've hung around these guys enough that you are comfortable with them."

"Who were you betting it was? And the least likely again?" October gave in.

"Okay so I think Bee. He's nice kind and shy, kinda like you. Then is Jazz. While he has a tendency to be loud and obnoxious at times, it mostly a facade, and he is pretty sweet once you get to know him. Optimus made it because he's one of the kindest and most understanding of bots. The Ironhide made it only because i know you said you were friends a month or so ago."

"Going by the logic I see in the guys you picked, why not Ratchet? I know I said he was a friend back when I met him."

"Please, that bot doesn't have a loving bolt in him. No matter how much he loves his friends it just isn't in him to be in love with someone." Both girls snorted.

"Too true. I'll give you a night to think over your list again then I'll tell you. I've apparently got nothing to do tomorrow, so if you'll have me I'll stay."

"It's getting late anyway, and dad will be home soon-" speak of the devil. In he came with box of pizza. Half pepperoni half cheesless. When Mikaela had written him in jail she had told him so much about October, he considered the girl a second child and he knew she hated cheese. Odd but true.

"I had a feeling you were still going to be here. Nice job on the living room. Kitchen is slightly messy, but the walls are done, so I'm happy." He set the pizza down and noticed that neither girl dug in. Something was up.

Before he could utter a word the girl began laughing hysterically. Did Mikaela call it or what? Their pain was still there, but at least they knew they could still laugh.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Six: Moving Forward.

While Mikaela went to work with her father at the garage, October worked on painting Mikaela's room. At first, Mikaela had been upset because she didn't want October to do it all, but when it was explained, Mikaela made her father shut up about it too. "I still feel bad about her staying to paint our house," Mikaela's father said.

"Dad, listen, she and her boyfriend are in a big fight right now. Her working on this is distracting her. Let her be, alright?" Mikaela said a bit harshly but her father had been pushing at this subject for hours now. She was finishing up this engine, then was to do a few decals on a bike before being allowed to go home. The engine just needed new spark plugs fitted, and the decal was pretty simple, for her steady hand at least.

Picking up her phone, she dialed October's number, only to remember the smashed and sparking Apple device that was sitting on her kitchen counter. Switching tactics, she tried the house phone and waited for it go to to voice mail. "Hey, October, you there?" Mikaela called. her voicemail system at home was one of those ones that played aloud.

Sure enough, October picked up the phone with a "I really regret smashing my phone now."

Mikaela laughed at that. "You want anything to eat? I'll pick something up on the way home." That was the excuse for her calling, the real reason was that she wanted to check up on her friend. She wanted to make sure October wasn't wallowing in self pity or blaming herself. Either would be just as likely as the other.

"Actually, how about you get your ass here and take me to the Sprint store so I can get a new phone. After, we can just go to the diner we like and get burgers." Mikaela sighed in relief before narrowing her eyes as she clasped her scooter helmet on. Her friend was taking this way too well.

"I'm on my way, be there in ten minutes." She and October said their goodbyes, and in ten minutes, nearly on the dot, Mikaela was picking her friend up. The Sprint store went fast because October just bought a new phone and had it activated. As the two got comfortable in their booth, Mikaela began. "So I narrowed the list down more. Jazz is it, I think. Bee is too innocent and shy for you two to work. Optimus was taken off and Ironhide is at a ninety-nine point nine-nine percent not it, to a single point zero one percent it."

"You really want to remove Ironhide from that list and at the same time don't!" October said with a great amount of humor.

"Fine," Mikaela grumbled. "I say it's Jazz."

October made a buzzer sound that had Mikaela banging her head against the table. Should have went for Bee. The waitress came over and looked at the two girls whose menus were left untouched. But they knew exactly what they wanted, and both ordered burgers with fries and shakes. Though Mikaela had cheese on her burger with a chocolate shake, while October made a face and asked for no cheese and a vanilla shake.

"Anyway, the correct answer was-" October paused for dramatic effect and Mikaela wanted to strangle her friend, "Ironhide."

"I knew I should have went with- wait. Him? But he's so trigger happy and angry and-" She stammered not sure of anything anymore.

"Oh he's a big softie," was October's reply. "Honestly, he's caring and honest. Not once has he purposely hurt me, until the other day. Which brings up the next subject. Something is wrong. I thought over this really hard as i painted, by the way the bathroom is finished along with your room, and realized he wouldn't send Sam. If he was going to tell me to screw off he would have used this." And from her pocket she withdrew a bluetooth device.

"A bluetooth?" Mikaela looked skeptically at it. How would that make a difference?

"It's a personal connection with his comm link. If he was going to tell me to, essentially, 'fuck off' he would have done it at least like this. Or even in person. But to send Sam to do it? I just don't know,"

"True. Any of the 'Bots would hesitate in having Sam do something that's as personal as what we're talking about. Have you tried talking to Ironhide?"

"Well no, I blocked him off completely. Which," October said quickly at Mikaela's confused look, "is another thing. You know Bee and Sam have a bond? Like Bee knows if Sam's in trouble or not. Well me and Ironhide have one that's similar. But it's more intense, like intimate intense, and I feel his emotions too at times. I blocked that off completely the other day."

"I'm just going to go with it and pretend that isn't weird for now," Mikaela said causing October to roll her eyes. "When did you block him?"

"Right after Sam called. He tried to get through for a while but then stopped. I- I'm kind of worried about removing the wall."

The waitress set the shakes on the table. "Your food will be out in just a moment;" she said, then left again.

"I say remove it. Find out exactly what the hell is going on. 'Cause at this point I wouldn't trust Sam. I mean, yeah I still love him and all, but he already found another girl? He's taking her side. Moving across the nation. I wouldn't put it past him and his little whore to-" the waitress set their food down in front of them. "-to pull a stunt like this. He's changed, a lot, recently. I miss my old Sam, but this new one isn't the guy I fell in love with."

"You're right. Should I- like now, or later?" She took a sip of her shake, and though she didn't completely remove the barrier, just weakened it; letting him know before hand something was up and to give her a bit more time.

"I say we eat first, then worry about that. Dad's closing shop today and it's only," she looked at her phone, "two thirty. We have enough time. Closing time is eight." October smiled at Mikaela thankfully. Also through the barrier she could just feel Ironhide's presence. It was like he put a hand to the wall. She spaced just enough for Mikaela to notice as she too put a 'hand' to the wall where Ironhide's was. "Hey, wait until later for a reunion." Mikaela said causing October to smile.

She retreated from the wall, and so did Ironhide, but she knew he would be there when she opened it fully. "Just letting him know to be ready." It was almost dreamily that she said that.

"You've got it bad, don't you? I can just see it now. Little tiny gun toting bots at your beck and call with another rounding your stomach- Ow!" October had kicked Mikaela with her steel toed boots. Her face was a tomato red, causing Mikaela to forget the slight and laugh. "Kidding, kidding. Is that even possible?"

"I don't know and don't want to know." She hissed. Then as an after thought added, "kinda."

"Oh. My. God!" Mikaela was surprisingly good at keeping her screech quiet, ish. "You want little bot babies! You want little Ironhide, bot babies!"

"Shut up! Sure I like kids and will want some one day. But I'm way way way too young. Besides, who even said he would want any? You know how much he likes his guns and fighting." Ever the obvious observationalist.

"Yeah, but even you pointed out that he's not as he seems. Maybe he wants kids. Or, like you, will want them one day."

"Okay this is just too much for one day. I mean me and him are- hell I'm not even sure. The only thing we need to be focusing on at the moment is finding stable footing then level grounds, let alone babies or even sex."


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Is It Tomorrow yet?

"Mikaela, stop it." October said through gritted teeth. If Mikaela kept staring at her, she would never be able to concentrate. What October was putting on the wall would never be finished if her friend kept staring at it over the artist's shoulder. Now October regretted putting off the whole removal of the wall for this. "Seriously! I can't do it if your watching!"

"Who knows, Ironhide might think that's kinky..." Mikaela was as shocked at her comeback as October was. Neither girl said a word after that, too embarrassed to say anything else. Actually, October was too embarrassed to look at Mikaela and she even called it quits on the painting. Setting the brush on the dresser top, she allowed herself to fall back while simultaneously twisting, causing herself to land face first on Mikaela's bed. Face buried in a pillow, she tried to ignore Mikaela who had finally begun laughing.

"Oh oh-a!" (Pillow talk for 'Go away!'.) A small prod brought her mind back to another necessity. Ironhide was getting slightly impatient. 'Just a little more time,' she thought to herself, as she briefly touched the barrier before disappearing to deal with Mikaela, who was actually poking her. "Stop it!" October cried as she swatted her friend away. "You've damaged me enough for one day with your baby talk and sex prep!"

Moving just enough to get the pillow out from under her, she let herself lay back down, still on her stomach, and covered her head with the pillow. Having her head covered, she never saw Mikaela roll her eyes. What she did see as she peeked out was Mikaela going through her dresser. "Go take a shower, you're going to stink up my bed if you don't." Clean clothes for October to sleep in were passed over, and even though it was only four in the afternoon, October was more than happy to take the clothes and make a hasty retreat to the bathroom.

Finally, some alone time; she thought, as she turned on the water. Once it was warm, she pulled the little tab for the shower, and water began spurting out. As she let it warm again, she stripped and then stepped in. The warm water was a bit too warm (how do people ever get it right before stepping in?) and she adjusted it until it was perfect. As she slathered shampoo into her long hair, (wet it just about brushed the top of her ass) she unthinkingly took down her mind barrier.

Not knowing any better Ironhide took this as a sign and invaded her mind. October didn't even notice him, but he noticed everything she was feeling. The water cascading over her body, the relaxed feeling of her muscles, and even the heat that pooled lower, due to her thoughts of him. He retreated quickly from her mind and hid within his own until she was ready. He couldn't believe that thoughts of him made her feel like that, or that she thought of him when she- what was she doing?

Finishing with her hair, she felt something hesitantly poking at her mind, and she realized her blockade was gone. She shoed him away, and banishing any thoughts of him from her mind; turned the water to cold, and then let him back. Something about his consciousness made her think he knew, but that just wasn't possible. Shivering, she quickly washed any dirt or sweat from her body before getting out and toweling off.

Dressed again, she decided now was the perfect time to try to contact Ironhide. The wall was already gone and she poked at Ironhide's consciousness. But he swatted her away, and she felt the importance of it. Rolling her eyes, she brushed her teeth and headed to speak with her friend. "Oh, gotta go!" Mikaela whispered quickly when she noticed October.

The darker brunette hid something from her with a smile. As curious as she was to figure out what Mikaela was doing and hiding, Ironhide's presence was overbearing and she lost focus on Mikaela. Her eye twitched when she felt Ironhide shifting through something in her mind and realized he was going through all of her emotions. She locked down on some of the more important ones, like the anger and pain she had felt before, and basically told him to fuck off of those ones.

"-tober?" Mikaela said waving her hand in her friend's face. October jumped; startled, causing Ironhide to concentrate on that emotion before letting his humor leak over.

"Sorry, what were you saying?" October shook her head before walking over to the now dried paintbrush. Well she had fifty others she could use, so she began on that.

"I was asking if you wanted to go to a movie. I heard that the new one,The Heat, was good." Mikaela offered. She laughed at October's scrunched up face. "Or not. What would you rather? A horror?" Mockingly Mikaela suggested a horror, thinking her meek little friend would back out. Silly Mikaela was not thinking. If she had been, she would have remembered that every horror flick she and Sam had dragged her to ended with hysterical laughter. Then again, Mikaela had been too occupied with Sam's girlish screams (those had made October laugh harder than the terrible cinematics, because honestly, who shot blood out as if it were a geyser?).

"The Purge?" October questioned, her words were tinged with a dash of hope. She was not afraid to see the movie alone, not by any means, but it was lonely to go to the movies alone.

Mikaela didn't know what to say. The Purge seemed like a good movie, but she had only enjoyed horror flicks due to being able to cuddle with Sam and make out by the end. Then again, this was supposed to be a new start without Sam, so she needed to think of other things besides him, and why not start by breaking their tradition of movie cuddles? "That sounds good. Not going to be scared, are you?"

"Not at all; find out what time the movie is at and we can dri- well there goes that idea," the both groaned. The movie theater was a half hour drive away. Just imagining the walk in this chilly wind had both girls shuddering. The thought of taking Mikaela's scooter crossed their minds, but it was cold, and the poor bike seemed to be about to go any day now.

Drive? He can drive. Something tickled at October's mind, and she felt like an engine was vibrating. October knew it was Ironhide, and she honestly felt bad for doing what she was about to, but she had to shoot him down. If he were to come, she would be focused on him; and the movies were for Mikaela. If Sam was still here, October would be thrilled to have Ironhide come.

Speaking of that little glitch-! God, she was round Ironhide way too much. His curses were invading her thoughts. Besides, Sam was gone. Like for good. So there was no need to worry over him. Though if she ever saw him again she would punch him so hard he'd end up in the Pit!

Putting the finishing touches on the wall, she stood back to admire it. "You finished?" Mikaela asked excitedly, then shouted, "You finished!" On the wall was the tattoo Mikaela planned to get. It was a bluebird's feather as a quill, writing the word 'love' in beautiful calligraphy. The squeal Mikaela gave off temporarily deafened October, and left her ears ringing.

Because of October's hearing, or lack there of, it was Mikaela that noticed the engine revving outside. It was also her that recognized it. "Bumblebee?" The two shared a look, and went outside where Bumblebee shut off his engine, and sunk so low to the ground that he nearly bottomed out.

"Houston, we have a problem- Baby come back!- that one's gone for good." October had trouble fitting together the meaning from his radio garble, but Mikaela gasped.

"He didn't, did he?" Bee's tires seemed to give and he was bottoming out. "Oh, that Sam!" Mikaela yelled in anger, making both Bee and October jump. "Insensitive, irresponsible, inane, idiotic-"

"Whoa, so many 'i's;" October tried to joke, but Mikaela seemed to not hear her friend.

"-jerk off! He needs to fuck of,f and leave everyone alone! How could he just abandon you here Bee? You're his best friend!"

"Would you like to acquaint his facial features with a fundamental item used in building walls? Repeatedly? Because I would!" October grumbled, and after giving her friends a minute to try to figure out what she meant, she sighed; and knew her joke went over their heads. "I was politely saying how I wish to beat his face in with a brick." That got a coughing sound from Bee, a chuckle, and Mikaela to crack a smile.

"I guess you'll be staying with the Autobots now." Mikaela said, knowing that most of her friends were leaving her. It was a sad day.

"Negatory captain, reassignment has been issued- anyway you want it, that's the way you need it! You've got a friend in me- forever and always~!" Nice Taylor swift there Bee, October thought humorously.

"You- you mean you're allowed to stay with me?" Mikaela asked. Not caring, or rather missing Ironhide, October blocked them out to concentrate on her bond. She never did figure out if he was mad at her or not. Hesitantly, she found his consciousness. she nuzzled up against it slowly, waiting to be pushed away. Instead, she was embraced by it, and her joy soared when she felt his own happiness at having her there with him. "Yo!" Mikaela yelled at her, and snapped her fingers in October's face.

Fear shot through her, before it settled on annoyance. Why Mikaela? You are such a cock block! "What?!" she replied, agitated.

"Ratchet wants me to be his assistant. He needs someone to help with the smaller, harder to reach wires that are way too tiny for his Cybertronian hands." October sagged her shoulders. It wasn't fair, she was losing her friends and love interests. She had no way to get to the base with it getting colder out. Mikaela's crappy scooter bike thing probably would die soon, and it would die faster with two people riding it. "He says there's one condition though. I'm to drag your ass with me. He's tired of Ironhide pouting about."

Lifting a small wall in her mind, one that hid just anything that could give him this new information, she smirked. She had a surprise for him now. While she let him feel her joy, she didn't give anything away as to what it was about. "When do you start?"

"Tomorrow," Mikaela said. She waited until October's face lit up to continue. "We leave at four. In the morning."

"I hate you."


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Fuck. Fuck! FUCK!- October's Soon to Be Thoughts? Or Maybe Not

Mikaela regretted her cruel joke to her friend when it was three-thirty in the morning and October was suddenly bouncing on the bed. "October~!" Mikaela moaned. Only now did she realize that telling her friend who wanted to go to the base that they had to leave at four when they were supposed to arrive at ten. "Ratchet really said ten. Now go back to bed."

A cry of pain escaped her as October flopped on her. "You said four, we are leaving no latter than four. Get your ass up. You joke with me about something like this, it's you that pays not me." After much coaxing, and a glass of icy water, Mikaela was up and changed.

"Bee~ October's being a bitch," mikaela laid on the hood of the yellow car and Bee started up. He too was tired and knew he should have spoken up as soon as Mikaela had told him of her practical joke.

"Bee, you better be up or I'm dumping water on your engine. Just ask Mikaela how cold it was." His engine revved lazily and he pooped his doors open. Mikaela crawled into the back while October began to bounce in the passengers seat. The normally twenty minute drive from Mikaela's apartment with her father took forty because tired Bee was going at the laziest pace he could and not have October threaten to pour something cold in him.

He knew she wouldn't really but she was just excited to make up with Ironhide. Had he not known that he would have gone slower. But October's brightly light up face, ungodly brightly light up face for four in the morning, had him taking pity on her and coasting at the speed limit. So tired and out of it he missed the black Saleen Mustang that was headed in the opposite direction as him. Bee over looked the spark emissions from it too.

Arriving at the base October jumped out of him and began quickly moving around, looking at all of the cars. bee just shut himself down after closing his door and like the deeply sleeping Mikaela in his back seat went into over to a silver Solstice she knocked on the hood lightly. It took a minute but the lights flickered on. "Lil' lady?" Jazz asked tiredly. Why was she waking him up from his recharge?

"Where's Ironhide?" her voice was soft and a slightly sad note coated it. Waking up just a tad bit more Jazz realized Bee was shut down in the middle of the hanger, not even bothering to properly park. It finally dawned on him that October was here. October was 'here'. In the base. what had she asked again?An uncharged Jazz was an unhappy Jazz. "Ironhide," she said again.

"His berth, where else would 'e be at, at four thirty- why am I up at this time myself?" That was his hint for her to go. But she stayed and his lights flicked irritably. "His room. Tha one wit his berth. His his- where he recharges. Frag the human word for it."

"Thanks Jazz." she smiled softly at him and he decided that just this once he would let her get away with waking him up. The moment she was out of his sight he shut back down. He would deal with her in the morning when he was not so fragging tired.

October knew where his room was because she had been there a few times. His large black body was shut down on his bed and she realized just what time it was. She didn't want to wake him, but how else would she be able to get up. outside the room she could hear heavy footsteps. Sticking her head out she called "Optimus!" The red and blue bot was tired but still had many things to do before he could even think about recharging. "I'm sorry to bother you, but could you give me a lift?"

"Of course," He picked her up and set her where she directed him, which was Irohide's berth. He left the Mech's room and got four steps away when it finally clicked in his processor. October wasn't supposed to be here let alone sharing a berth with Ironhide. Looking back into the room he took note that October wasn't there. Perhaps it really was time to recharge. All of his work would still be there tomorrow.

Just as he left October popped up on Ironhide's chest. She had been obscured by his bulky body as she made her way around him to get to here. Now with him she felt the weariness everyone else was. Laying on his chest above his spark as she had previously done the times she'd either napped or slept here it wasn't long before she was in a contented sleep.

.~:*:~.

Ironhide started up and a warning went off at him. A heat signature, not his own, was detected on his chest above his spark chamber. All of his sensors started up and his optics onlined. Looking down, prepared to offline the fragger that dared touch him, his spark soared. October!

She was lightly sleeping above his spark with a small smile on her lips. When did she get here? Frag that, he was just happy that she was back. His mechanics seemed to hum in a quick contented pace. He felt whole with October here. Damned be Prime's order, he was going to stay with his sparkmate even if she was sent home.

Speaking of Prime, :Ironhide, Lennox has arrived. You need to go with him and his family for a week while he is on vacation.:

No! Fraging slagger! Ironhide let his sorrow consume him for a minute before getting it under control. Will was his friend, so was Sarah and Little Anna. He was also their guardian, well par time guardian, so he could not just up and abandon them. Not even for October. Carefully he got up bringing October with him. Disappointment washed over him as he realized he would not be able to see October for a while.

"Ratchet," Ironhide said catching the Mech's attention when he entered the med bay. The medical bot turned towards his long time friend and saw October not moving in his hands, that combined with Ironhide's forlorn look caused him to become uneasy.

But all scans pointed to her being only asleep. "What is wrong, Ironhide? She is only recharging." Ironhide laid her on the cot that she had used so many times now.

"Prime is sending me with Lennox for the week. Tell her I will be back then." he left without another word or a glance at his friend. Ratchet's optic ridge twitched. Why did it seem like Optimus was trying to keep these two apart? He should know better than most what it's like to be separated from a Sparkmate. Being leader he had to witness many of his ranks decimating when their mates died. When October onlined he would go and give Optimus a piece of his mind.

Until then he would worry about setting up for Mikaela's arrival. There was much that needed to be done if he would ever to teach her everything she needs to know. Today alone she would need to figure out the the difference between and Energon intake pipe and an release one. So little time he was given to be able to teach her these things.

At eight o'clock on the dot she entered and he was glad she was punctual. Tired looking but punctual. "Man, I can't believe October actually made us come here at four this morning," she said to Ratchet, "I am never going to joke like that with her again."

"What are you talking about?" Ratchet asked as he lifted the young woman up to his desk.

"I told her yesterday that you wanted me here by four in the morning. She took it seriously then refused to come any time but. Even Bee is wiped out." She yawned again covering her mouth and took note of Ratchet's worried look. "What? Did something happen?"

"Actually, yes," his optics moved to the bed where October was. From where Mikaela was she could only just see auburn hair. But she knew that auburn like the back of her hand. "Ironhide was sent out. He wont be back for some time."

'Oh no!', Mikaela thought to herself. Pity welled in her chest like a stone, 'poor October.' She knew how much her friend had been looking forward to seeing Ironhide. "Where did he have to go?"

"Will is taking the week off to look, more thoroughly, for a babysitter. you know how his last abandoned Anna at the store, right?"

"What? No. How did that happen? Was she alright."

"Anna was perfectly fine. October, well, Lennox had freaked on her. What happened was..." Ratchet told her the story as she began resetting everything he had set up. She mentioned something about how it would be easier for her if she put things in places that would be easier for her to find and reach. "that's also how her and Ironhide had became friends. Or when he began to consider her one at least."

"So- uh, this may sound personal but I'm genuinely curious- but do you have a sparkmate? or even a bonded?"

"Right now we are to get you to work." He clammed up tighter than a knitted sock. The slightly sour tone in his voice and the brightening of his optics as he shot a glance at October told Mikaela a world of things. Like how the answer to her question was no. But he wanted someone deep down even if he wasn't willing to admit to anyone. Not even himself. Also he was slightly jealous of his friends. What they shared.

Mikaela listened carefully to all of what he said but she had a wonderful ability to take in what he said and think. Ironhide had probably felt the same way about being bonded to someone as Ratchet. But if what October and Ratchet had shared with her was true, he sounded much happier to be bonded. Her heart seemed to open up and she felt for the big bot. She also felt bad for her thoughts about him the other day along with laughing at him with October. Like Ironhide, he seemed to be a big softy inside.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Twins Terrors Not So Terrible

By weeks end, next Sunday considering Ironhide left on a Friday, Optimus was furrowing his optic ridges and watching October. Something was obviously up with her. Was Sam right and she was unhappy here? Had someone forced her to come back? Air puffed from his nose and Ratchet noticed. The Medic's eyes moved from his leader to whatever he was looking at.

"Oh Frag," he grumbled catching Optimus' attention. He knew he had forgotten something that day. "Optimus, why did you send Ironhide out with Lennox? He has a bond with them but keeping him this long is surely affecting even him."

"He is their guardian, Ratchet. you know as well as I that if necessary he will stay indefinitely with them." October froze, not even a breath escaped her. Her eyes were wide when she turned to look at the Prime and Medic.

"No! No, he will not be gone forever, October. He will come back. You know that- frag." The panic had set in and combined with her lack of air made her pass out. "Primus, I wouldn't doubt it if Ironhide is heading back right now pissed as pit and freaking out." gently he lifted the unconscious girl up off of the ground. Scanning her he was glad to see that she had not hit her head too badly. It would be sore and bruised but no concussion this time.

"Ratchet, what is going on? Why would you tell her that Ironhide would be coming back no matter what? You do know that if it is necessary he will indeed stay with them forever. Why would he be racing back now? Lennox had requested a few more days off to watch the sitter he and his wife picked. Ironhide has no reason to-"

Ironhide'ls paniking voice cut Optimus off. Curious, really curious, :is the base under attack? Has something happened? What's going on with-:

:Everything is fine, Ironhide. Calm yourself. What has gotten you into this uproar?: Optimus asked through the comm link. Jazz caused some static as he got on and coded the signal so that the 'Cons would not pick up on it.

:October, is she alright? What happened to her?: He pushed on surprisingly ignoring Optimus' question.

:She is fine, Ironhide. Simply was shocked and forgot to breath. My estimate is in just a few minute's she will be online again.: Ratchet said, what was going on with Optimus? He should have know to answer Ironhide immediately about the passed out girl. Sparkmate's primary concern was the other. Sure they fought with each other at times and disagreed but they would lay down their life for the other in a spark pulse.

:Thank Primus,: Ironhide said with a sigh. :When her fear spiked as it had before going blank I worried that a fragging 'Con had gotten to her.:

:What is going on?: Optimus said, the voice of previous Prime's leaked into his words making it impossible for any of the three other mech's on the link, Jazz was still there, not to answer.

:I was worried about October.: Ironhide grunted.

:Prime, ya do know tha' Ironhide and 'er are Sparkmate's, right?: Jazz spoke for the first time since getting on the link. Optimus visibly did a double take, eyes wide he looked at the tiny and fragile human in Ratchet's hand before looking at Jazz and back. :Ah take it 'at's why ya told 'im he could not go afta 'er when Sam came by. An why ya sent him with Lennox when any oh us otha bots coulda.:

Optimus was left speechless. When had this happened? Ironhide had a sparkmate? The other 'bot's let him tell her she could not stay? If anything had happened to her while not on this base it would have been his fault. He would be the one to blame if the 'Cons had gotten her. Condemned to death by him because he had sent her away.

:Who- who knew about this?: Optimus asked not looking away from the pale girl that had still not woken.

:Ah thought everyone.: Jazz said, :when ah found out, ah said it loud ova da comm's,: silence came from Optimus. Someone miscommunicated majorly, :oh look! Tha lil' lady is wakin.:

Ironhide focused on his bond rather than the green light he was stopped at, Will became nervous and jittery trying to get Ironhide to move, while the others watched her. October felt the probing of Ironhide before she had even woken fully. She was confused, what had happened? One minute she was sitting with Jolt, he was temporarily resting and letting her lean against him as long as she didn't disturb him, then when she had gotten up to go get a new book because she finished the one she had been reading- nothing. After that she only remembered sheer panic then nothing.

"Wha-" she mumbled lifting her hands to rub at her eyes. Six blue light sources looked down at her, two for each of the three 'Bots.

"You passed out due to shock." Ratchet said aloud, "apparently Prime had not known you and Ironhide were bonded the way you are. Do not fear, Ironhide will be back for you." It took a second before she understood. The fear and panic of thinking she had lost Ironhide forever had- the pain it had caused her heart still made the organ ache. Her hand rubbed at her chest a few seconds after Jazz rubbed his chest.

But everyone focused on October and Ratchet scanned her. Her heart was overworked and extremely stressed at the moment. "You are to be locked in the Med Bay until further notice. Even at your young age another shock like that could cause heart failure," Ratchet informed as he whisked her away to her prison. Mikaela was surprisingly not there.

Ratchet had given her the day off to relax, odd considering Jolt had requested a day or two to relax and Ratchet always denied him. October whined when he told her to sit on the cot and stay there. He left after that and she easily made out the clicking sound of the locking door. How pissed would he be if she left? Pretty pissed. But she felt that way at this moment so why the hell not?

Optimus had basically threatened that she would never see Ironhide again, the agitation from the whole Sam thing built up along with missing seeing Ironhide an entire week, and she was not happy with being condemned to here. Again.

Taking the blankets that were provided to the go with the cot, a thin scratchy one and a nice plush black-blue comforter, she headed to the human sized door. Was she ever glad or what for that stupid piece of duct tape. Ironhide's room was pretty far away so she sneakily headed to his training room. The door was way too heavy for her or any other human to push open but it was cracked open. Cracked for a bot at least. Now she was glad for her small size because after pushing the blankets into her hiding spot she squeezed through.

This also meant that the sex talk her brothers had been threatening to talk about with her wouldn't happen today either! Avoiding them this passed week was not as easy as it would seem. They had known exactly where to look for her and there had been no one around all those times. Surely Sideswipe and his brother Sunstreaker weren't ratting her out. Their immense dislike for any humans would include her brothers. Or was their want to get back at her enough that they could over look that and team up with Thor and Nero? Nah, never.

She contemplated Ironhide's desk. There was a ladder to get up there but if she was up there she would be easy to spot if Ratchet checked. Not to mention the danger of climbing a ladder with two blankets. Eh, what the hell. Carefully she made her way up the metal steps. By the time she reached the top she vowed never to take the hep of being lifted by the bots for granted. Or stairs. Ratchet's Med Bay cot place was three times easier than this ladder.

Outside the room she heard the pounding of feet. "Hurry Sunny! Before Ol' Hatchet catches us!" The two barreled into the training room and closed the door tightly. Laughter rung out from the two and October was amazed. They were so lively and happy now but every other time she ever saw them they were so arrogant and, well, pissy. "Oh man, he'll weld our afts to the ceiling for sure this time!"

"What did you do?" October called out, neither seemed to notice her or care that it was her. Their moods too high.

"The Med Bay was locked so we went in and though some of his things." Seconds passed after Sideswipe replied. The yellow and red bot connected shocked eyes before looking around. They saw no one. No human and no bot. Though the pile of blankets on Ironhide's desk was unusual, they chalked that up to 'Hide always having that fleshy around. Not just 'that' fleshy, bit his fleshy. They had heard that day over the comms. Still hesitantly Sideswipe called out, "October?"

He held in a shocked sound when her head popped out of the blanket's, "you're not going to try and squish me or anything, are you?"

Confused he looked to his yellow brother. Sunstreaker shrugged, how was he supposed to know what the fleshy meant? "No, why would we do that?" Sideswipe asked.

"I don't know. But you two kinda scare me." She admitted.

"As long as you don't rat us out to Ratchet we're good."

"Don't rat me out either and we got a deal." She jokingly said.

"What did you do?" Sunstreaker asked, his interest piqued.

"I'm technically his patient at the moment- oh, he uh might be a bit more pissed at you two than you think." The twins shared a look of confusion, "he's probably going to assume my escape from the locked Med Bay was due to you two if you went in there." Sure enough over their comms was angry chatter at them about letting October escape.

"Eh, we'll take the credit for getting him this salgged. That fragger needs something to occupy his processor other than work." Sunstreaker said. October smiled at him and he felt his spark melt just a tiny bit. She was such a nice fleshy that he regretted using her that time so long ago. He also almost regretted being the one to rat her out to her brothers. Almost. It was funny watching her try to escape, and managing to do so, two large marines.

Talking with her they realized that they liked her. At least someone around here appreciated their humorous antics. They had her cracking up laughing at half of what they told her. Especially when it came to the story of Ironhide being the machine equivalent of naked because of them. oh how she wished she could have seen that. Not necessarily Ironhide naked, though she did wonder what that looked like, but him chasing the these two bots through Cybertron screaming profanities in the nude.

"I-" she gasped trying to catch he breath, "I haven't done anything nearly that bad. But when my brothers were in sixth grade and I was in second I glued pictures of then as naked Babies over their homework and their teacher stood at the front of class and announced that was why you don't let younger siblings go though their bag." Sideswipe chuckled while his brother cracked a smile.

Looking at each other the pictured having a naked protoform of then shown to their classmates and they laughed. It had indeed happened. Boy did they have a story to tell her.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty: Sparkling Pocket

Ironhide rolled back into the base to see a fuming Ratchet. He cursed October and cursed the Twin Terrors. If she was connected to them that might be why for the passed three days her depression at him being gone had lifted and turned to humor and joy. Then again those three weren't on the best of terms last that he checked. Settling down in an open spot he concentrated on the bond, searching for her presence.

He found her a few seconds later. Not because of the bond but because Sunstreaker was running quickly with her cupped in his hands. "I'm going to slag you, you pit spawned demons!" Ratchet's vocals boomed as he chased after the two. Pink streaks coated him in what Ironhide figured to be a zebra like pattern.

Gone for a week and a half and she ends up in the wrong crowd. The sounds of his transformation caught the attention of Sunstreaker and October. She cried out to him and waved, but he only briefly glanced at her. His attention was mostly on Sunstreaker who had decided he would rather risk Ratchet than the weapons specialist.

The lemon yellow bot set October on the ground before initiating his transformation and trying to speed off. Ironhide figured the bot still needed to be taught a lesson for putting October in danger. She could have fallen or gotten hurt when Ratchet caught him. So as he tried to speed by Ironhide stomped on his roof causing Sunstreaker's tires to squeal as he tried to peel out of there. Only instead he left thick black streaks of burnt rubber on the ground.

Ratchet had caught up to the gawping October, and picked her up. She screamed but there was a sense of joy and fun to her emotions. "Save me!" she cried.

Ironhide only had a small notion of what was about to happen. That was only because of the emotions he poked at in October. Her humor had rose as she looked not at but passed him. beside's where one twin was the other wasn't far. Moving off of Sunstreaker and rolling to the side a blur of red flew by. Then a yellow blur flew away before making a U turn and speeding towards Ratchet.

Ironhide had no time to react but sideswipe did, he launched for Ratchet whose focus was the yellow car. October quickly exchanged hands and then Ratchet was down. Sideswipe ran at Ironhide, "Ratchet's not too happy with her either, escape while you can or she will be on lock down." Was all the warning he had a chance to give before he jumped forward while shifting mid air. Together him and his brother booked it out of there with Ratchet chasing after them.

"Ironhide!" October cried and he felt the happiness she was experiencing multiply ten times. Lifting the girl up close to his face she hugged what she could while he nuzzled her. The stress of staying with the Lennox's and helping pick and watch the babysitter slowly faded away. connecting their bond better by opening up more Ironhide waited to see if she got the hint to do the same. She did and their bond sent a spark at them both. The shock had stung but it had been only as bad as a small static shock. "I missed you, Tuff Stuff," she said pulling away.

"And I you, Little spark," Ironhide softly admitted. Even if he hadn't said it aloud with their bond as open as it was she would have known. Suddenly a hand snatched her up and Ratchet was holding her by the back of her yellow shirt.

Normally blue optics were tinted purple. "You little escape artist," Ratchet accused. He looked at Ironhide and got an idea. She was about the size of an average sparkling about the time they were allowed to exit their parents spark chambers and survive. Motioning for Ironhide to come closer the mech was slightly hesitant, unsure of what he was about to have done to him. Ratchet slowly made Ironhide lean his head to the left so that he could stick a finger under some plating and reach the secure button.

He pressed it and Ironhide jumped slightly. It was a much bigger shock to his systems than the bond shock. The right half of his chest plates opened and a compartment moved forward and opened. Ironhide was as confused as October. He knew what it was but why did Ratchet find it necessary to check it over?

With a hiss the compartment door opened. Unsealing for the first time. Because he had never had a sparkling he had never seen fit to open the housing where it could safely rest and if necessary refuel. Stagnant air left as oxygen entered and filled up the space. A small light flickered on and Ratchet scanned it. Seemingly satisfied he nodded when the results came in.

Opening his mouth plates to question the medic he was taken by surprise when October was shoved into the compartment. Ratchet closed it and let the chest plate slowly close. Ironhide tried to override to coding but could not get passed a security wall. His body was scanning her to see what she would need to survive. Immediately oxygen was let in so that she would not suffocate. "What the frag did you do?"

There was no anger in his voice only due to his shock being overbearing. "Put some human substance in you subspace. When her body requires it the protocol will send it to her." Ratchet was pleased with his now inescapable imprisonment for her, "your casing will reopen in twenty-four hours. This should teach her not to team up with those terror twins again. Little pit spawn purposely tripped and hurt her ankle so i would activate my hologram and help her. The twins took that opportunity to mess with my paint."

Scans his body automatically did said that her ankle was not hurt badly just sore. "How did she end up with them?" Ironhide questioned crossing his thick arms over his chest. curiosity not only poked at him but she was actually poking around his chamber. It was so awkward feeling.

When he shared with her what it felt like to have her moving around and touching around she could only equate it to when going to the dentist. Being numbed up and after poking around at the numbed area.

"I'm not too sure. After we informed Optimus of your bond i had locked her in the Med Bay for further observation but the terrors let her out. After that they have been nearly inseparable. Bee has been with them a lot too. But luckily for our youngling he has taken no part in any of their pranks." Ratchet began to grumble and rant to himself so Ironhide walked away.

Irritation began to nag at him. His own and October's combined. Any 'fun' she had found in the situation quickly diminished upon getting bored and not being able to get out. He wished to speak with her, to interact, but now she was stuck for twenty-four hours. Maybe Jazz, their saboteur, would be able to hack into his systems and release her. :Jazz,: he called over a secure and private comm link.

:Yo?: was the questioning reply that Ironhide received after static cleared and Jazz opened his side of the link.

:I need you to hack into my sparkling case data and release it. Ratchet put October there as punishment for teaming up with the twin terrors. My data streams wont be finished for quite a few hours so it wont open for me.:

Silence met Ironhide before Jazz's, literally, musical laughter connected. :Yo man, ya slagged. Dat just ain't possible. No une has been able to crack dat code. Any bot tha came close had their processor fried and had to be rebooted. Tha code changes constantly, it jus ain't possible. Any theat detected while you alive will cause rapid change ta it.: Laughter broke out again as the link was cut and Jazz would be sure to make sure every bot knew 'bout this.

A beeping in his processor alerted him to another comm link requesting his attention.

October had been amazed by this box where she had been put for the first few minutes. Her fingers and hands had searched ever nook and cranny before she had gotten bored. Calling out to him she realized he must not be able to hear her. Sure she was in him but maybe the box was soundproof for all she heard was the humming of his spark. Hopefully Ironhide would let her out soon. The only thing Ironhide did was get more and more irritated. Reaching into a pocket in her jeans she found what she was searching for. The small bluetooth Mikaela had found in her room the other day.

On her ear it went and she pressed the little side button. It beeped repeatedly before it quieted. "Hello?" she questioned but there was no reply. Scowling she figured Ironhide must have ignored her incoming call, was it actually a call or was it something else? Link! That'ls what he called it. So he must have denied her link connection.

Ass, she thought. Trying again she let it beep and when it stopped sighed heavily. Pushing at the link as if she was shoving him like she would Mikaela if the girl irritated her enough. When he was overcome with shock at her rude gesture she tried the link again. "What?" his gruff voice snarled.

Finally, she relaxed relieved. "I'm bored, let me out." she said. with her legs bent she wrapped her arms around them and set her chin down.

"October? How-" He couldn't figure it out. She didn't have her phone on her so there had been no way she could have connected to his link any other way. Wait, the bluetooth device! "Never mind. I'lm sorry but I can't get you out."

"Why not? Is Ratchet making you keep me in here?" Her mood managed to sour even more, that damned bot! He was a nice guy but couldn't take a joke for the life of him. The stupid paint was water based so the first sight of rain or a carwash and it would all come off. She had made the twins swear to it. The threat of telling Ratchet that they made her do it was a false one but they knew if they upset her too much like going against her wishes Ironhide would know and then they really would be slagged.

"No, there are protocols with a sparkling chamber that can not be overridden. My body is scanning you to identify you and everything necessary to keep you alive if you were to be stuck in there for a long time." October seemed to 'hmm' in understanding. But she didn't understand completely.

"So I'll be here how long? An hour or two?" When Ironhide didn't answer she swallowed, "it can't be any longer than three."

"It's a day. Ratchet informed me that you will be in there for twenty-four hours." There was her understanding. It came in the form of despair. The connection to the link was cut and when he tried to reactivate it coding that was becoming all too familiar cut him off. "Frag! That Slagger better stay the Frag away from me unless he wished to go to the Well of All Sparks."

Noon had quickly passed and it was around three in the afternoon when the coding popped up again. It was informing him that what was occupying his spark chamber needed refueling. All downloads pertaining to the 'human' were paused and would continue only after she was taken care of.

Finding Ratchet, and struggling not to shoot him, Ironhide snarled out, "how am I to get her refueling if the chamber refuses to open?"

"I told you," he said exasperated. Didn't anyone ever listen to him? "Get her food and water and put it into your subspace. From there it will transferred to her. Normally with a sparkling it would be transferred through a wire connected but because she is a human it should just drop into the chamber through a subspace opening in there."

All of the other bots avoided him as he made his way to the refueling center. Even Optimus avoided him. Well the leader stopped to watch him wondering how he had missed all of the signs that his friend was spark bound. Now though he couldn't help but wonder where October was and why Ironhide was in such a foul mood.

In the kitchen Ironhide wondered what October would want to eat. The only times he had seen her eat were snacks and even then that had only been apples. Spotting a bowl of them on the small humans table he figured that they would have to do. In they went, bowl and all, to the subspace pocket and he dropped in three water bottles too. She might need them. The coding began to flow again and was minimized to a small section of his sight so as to not distract him.

Now though, for the next twenty hours, he would go to his training room and fiddle with his cannons. The calibration was the slightest of fractions off.

Laying down in his chamber was October. She had been cut off from him hours ago and upon trying to reconnect had been deafened by horrible feedback. It was dark in here and she was wondering if she would be clostrophobic after this when the light blindingly flickered on. If it kept up like this by the time she got out all of her senses would be gone- oof!

Okay, so she still had feeling. Rolling over she heard the sound of something hitting the ground. The water bottle that had nailed her in the stomach rolled away. Looking up she saw the glass bowl she took apples from falling and before it shattered managed to roll over under it and catch it. In here she had just enough room to sit up and lay down. It was about six feet in length and depth while it'd height was only three or four feet.

Her stomach gurgled reminding her that she had missed lunch by now. The light flickered off and she yelled out, "hey, I need that!" Beep... beep... beep... it flickered back on. Obviously something was able to acknowledge her words. Setting the water in the middle of her crossed legs she set the bowl to the side while taking an apple. Biting into it she wondered how Ironhide had done that. Gave her food and water but was not able to get her out.

Finishing the apple she decided to try and nap. Maybe if she did the twenty four hours would go by faster. But unfortunately her mind wouldn't shut down. Boredom ate ate her mind and she wished she at least had a book to read. Or paper to draw on. Hell even her iPhone would be good. Unfortunately she had thought it best to leave aside so that it wouldn't break in the game of pranking Ratchet. Oh how she wished she could be playing any number of mind numbing games she had on there. Hell if she had a deck of cards she would be thrilled. Solitaire could be extremely fun when this desperately bored.

If, no when, she got out of here first thing she was doing was getting the twins to get Ratchet with non-water based paint. Let the ass hole suffer then. After that she would find a way to get back at sideswipe for leaving her to get caught. Then again he had warned Ironhide to get away. Okay so the twins were off the hook. Ironhide was going to get a nice old bumper sticker that was pink or something.

Time passed with him fiddling on weapon after weapon and before long twenty-five hours passed. Ironhide barged into the Med Bay. Ratchet stopped his lesson with Mikaela and took not that October was not with Ironhide. Scans showed she was still in the sparkling chamber. Taking a wire out of his finger he plugged it into a the same small port that he had injected the virus into last time. No words were exchanged between them until he had finished downloading and figuring out the information he took. "Half an hour longer, due to the difference in species it is taking slightly longer."

Ironhide growled at the bot who was the cause of everything. As much as he loved October it was all because of idiot Ratchet. He had caused her to go hungry that first night so long ago. The night when she had slept above his spark chamber and caused the bond to begin forming. Then there was him causing her to touch Ironhide's spark and make the bond change and burst forth. Now this.

Leaving the bay with an exasperated Ratchet and confused Mikaela he began to walk around. He could not sit another moment and it had been close to two days since he last recharged. Running on his reserves like this was not good for him but he refused to recharge until she was out. He felt something shifting in him and stopped to sit down. His legs were about to give out for a reason unknown to him. Down the hall from him were two marked doors, one with a picture of a male the other with a picture of a woman.

His chest opened and the chamber released October, *Download Finished* flashed across his optics. "Finally," he grumbled. October didn't wait but jumped out of his chest and allowed herself to hit the floor with a roll. She abandoned the eaten and uneaten apples along with a finished and half finished bottle of water on the floor as she darted towards the marked doors.

The door with the woman in a skirt slammed shut causing Ironhide to scowl. What was her problem? She knew it hadn't been him or his choice to lock her in his chest. That was all Ratchet- why did she feel so relieved? What was the room she entered? A quick search of the internet had his trying to hide his humor. On the surface he did easily and it looked like he was just relaxing sitting there in the hall. Inside his mind the wall he tried to pull up wouldn't go fast enough and she knew he was laughing at her dire urge to piss.

October pulled her pants up and washed her hands with a scowl. He had no right to find this funny. Drying her hands she left the bathroom to scowl up at him, hands propped on her hips and scowl on her face she looked up at him. Her eye brows were furrowed and her scowl looked more like a pout. Ironhide found her cute looking like this. Until the next words escaped her lips, "you think that's funny? How about next time I'm stuck in there I piss there." Okay so she was still cute looking but he was thankful she had managed to hold it in this long.

"We need to talk," he finally said. She let her shoulders fall, knowing this was going to come up. Her emotions were stronger now and from them he could just get a few words, Please don't hate me. Over and over those words played through her causing all of her emotions to swell.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter Thirty-One: ABSOLUTE FILLER HAHAHA

Mikaela finished taking notes for the day and she just sat at the table Ratchet had set up on his desk for her. Something was different about her. Sam crossed her mind less and less each day. Only in his place someone else was there. So terrified of this new development she had played hooky yesterday. Calling up Ratchet from her house and telling him she wasn't feeling well had went surprisingly well. Because he could not scan her he had her list off what she felt like and she made sure to make it sound like she had some type of stomach bug.

Having had enough stomach bugs in the passed it had been easy lying to the mech. Well sort of. The lies came easily enough but by the time she finished explaining her condition to him, it was no longer a lie. Such worry had come over her that she had to abandon him on the phone to rush to the bathroom and vomit.

The only person who had ever worried themselves sick before, that she actually knew, was October. When her friend had finally gotten up the courage to tell her mother that she was moving out she had called left a voice mail. So worried over the way her mother would react October had ended up sick. Curled up in the bathroom by the toilet she Mikaela had found her rocking back and forth.

It had been a laughing matter to Mikaela that October had managed to make herself sick with worry. Only now that it had been her it wasn't so funny. Today she felt little better but well enough to study under Ratchet. Her fears lessened once Ratchet had printed out several pages of information for her to read and highlight while he helped teach Jolt how exactly to build a servo from scratch.

Unfortunately the guilt from lying to Ratchet had still been eating her up all day. October called Ratchet for help from outside the door and Mikaela got even more worried. If it wasn't one thing it was another. excusing himself Ratchet left Jolt to the hand and Mikaela to herself. Half of an hour had passed before Ratchet returned looking unhappy and... pink.

"Those slagging twins and October better not need my help getting fixed anytime soon," he grumbled to himself. Scratching at some of the pink on his body. It had dried and now itched as it flaked off.

"Would you like me to wash you?" Mikaela asked before she could stop herself. Thinking she had crossed a line she stuck her nose back into the papers he had printed off for her. The black of the ink was very intriguing for some reason.

"That would be," Ratchet hesitated trying to think of a way to put together his words, "much appreciated, Mikaela. But you do not need to do that..." even so he was silently begging her to insist on it. there was a place on his back that itched like all Pit and he just could not reach it.

Laughing Mikaela came up with an excuse, "if it means no more reading then sign me up." It was a joke but the disapproving look Ratchet sent her just made her feel stupid. Sam never made her feel like that. Or rather he had never made her want to be good enough for him. With Ratchet she wanted to be better, to have him notice her and tell he she did a good job. "Joking, joking, but you look to be very uncomfortable with the pink so I'm being serious about washing you."

"Thank you, Mikaela. Perhaps it would be best if we were in the first hanger to wash this paint off." He collected her and lifted her up to his shoulder. Having seen October sitting on Sunstreaker's shoulder several times she knew what he expected. On their way to the hanger they encountered a soldier who Ratchet had requested get them a bucket, soap, and a sponge. Mikaela yelled for ten towels too. There was a hose that spewed warm water in the hanger. Outside was a cold hose for when it was extremely hot out during the summer but it was slightly chilly and getting colder the later in the day it got.

When Ratchet set her down the soldier with an identical man (though to be honest most of the military personnel looked alike) came jogging in with the asked for things and passed it off to Mikaela. Oddly the soldiers reminded her of October with their auburn scruff for hair and those bark brown eyes. Ratchet shifted into his alternate form and prepared to get washed. Once or twice the soldiers had to wash him due to scuffles with Deceptions that had gotten dirt and mud in some uncomfortable places. It had not been the most pleasant of experiences to say in the least.

Icy water had been painfully jetted on him way too closely and then they had scratched with the hard side of the sponge way too hard. After he still had soap and suds left on him in some places gunking up his joints nearly as badly as the mud. But from experience he knew the soap and joint pain would be less irritable then the itchy paint in places he could not reach to scratch.

He jumped when the water hit him. Instead of the painful force that the soldiers had it turned to it was a gentle stream that got him wet without the pain. It was also the perfect temperature. Not scalding to his plates but neither did it freeze them. Just a little warmer than room temperature made it perfect and he found himself sinking lower on his wheels. Then the soft squishiness of the sponge began rubbing him after the water left. Circular motion had his engine purring and his chassis leaning into Mikaela's touch.

Wheelie was right, this girl was a goddess. At one particularly dried spot of paint, that itchy spot upon his back that he had been unable to scratch, she flipped the soapy sponge over and used the scratchy side. But she didn't dig it in. The paint was gone quickly enough and she itched the spot just enough that had his engine roaring in pleasure. :Oh, Primus! Right- right there- yes, yes! Oh! Ugh! Just a bit harder, just, just- Oh Primus! Yes!: He cried out in his mind. Or thought he had.

:Primus, Ratch', you overloadin with a Femme or wha'?: Jazz said over the wide open comm that had everyone shocked. Half had lost their breath from the shock that this was being broadcast to them all and not at least on a private link.

:Better- Oh, right there- Mikaela is washing- ahhhh~ -washing all of the paint off that the twins- mmmm- she is doing ti so softly and- Primus does that feel good.: With that information all of the other bots shut their comm links off. not wanting to hear any more of that. At this point Ironhide had been on his private comm link and had as of yet to turn his main comm systems back online. He was waiting for October to be able to contact him again.

Mikaela got to a sensitive spot upon his passengers door and his engine revved, it was racing so much that his fans had kicked on trying to cool him down. When he had not told her to stop she continued and guessed that his revving engine was a good sign. That his leaning in to her touch meant that he liked it. "Hey, Ratchet,"

"Yeah," he said in a breathless dreamy tone.

"I can't get the top of you, I need to climb up it that's alright with you."

"Perfectly fine by me Gentle Spark," he hummed and Mikaela was confused by his nickname for her. She knew from his lessons that the spark was akin to a human's heart. Gentle Heat sounds like a term of endearment.

Anyway she rinsed him off before the soap could dry. Then climbing onto his hood she leaned against his window, full body, to quickly wash the pink off of his lights. The lights that flared to life and had nearly given her a heart attack. Ratchet quickly turned them off with an apology hoping she would continue with her gentle administrations.

She did of course and with two towels over her shoulders and the hose hanging over his body she got to work getting the rest of the paint off of the top of him. When she was satisfied that there was not a spot of pink left she tossed the sponge away and lifted the hose up to rise off the left over suds. The warm water soaked the bottoms of her jeans and wormed its way over her shoeless feet, having taken her heels off to climb on him.

Looking around she saw no more soap on his roof so she tossed the hose away. Using the towels she began to dry him. His engine stuttered as he loved the feel of the towel. It soaked up any water residue and he would not have to feel the drops moving over his body for hours to come. Mikaela was thorough with her cleansing of him and when she was finished noticed a twig in his under carriage. "hold on," she said to him when he was about to back away and transform.

No caring if she got wet she crawled under him and grimaced. "what is it Mikaela?" Ratchet asked the girl. What did she see under him?

"You've got like two years worth of dirt caked under here. how is that comfortable?" she flopped onto her back in the cooling water and with her feet pulled the hose close enough that she could reach it with her hands.

"Oh Primus!" He yelled aloud when the warm water made the dried mud wet and she could dislodge the stick that was there. "Please do not stop!" he cried when she dropped the hose.

A chuckle left her when she realized the stick must have been poking him for quite sometime to have felt so good to have removed. Using her shirt, it having gotten the entirety of dirt and mud falling on it when the stick was pulled, she polished everything under there that she could. A piece of jagged metal cut her finger and she flinched.

Following it up she got to the end and realized it was dug in about an inch to his flesh- is the metal even considered that? She questioned- and grabbing it she said to him, "hold on, this might hurt a bit," Then with a deep breath she pulled it out. Blue fluid poured on her bare torso and she got a mouthful or two of it. It quickly slowed before stopping and the water from the hose washed it away and off of her. The blaring sound of his sirens turned off and the horn that had deafened her stopped. His advanced body had already begun healing the damage. The shrapnel of a Decepticon that had gotten into his spark chamber and caused him much pain was gone.

It had been too small for him to remove himself and Jolt hadn't been up to par to get it out yet. But in his alternate form Mikaela had been the perfect size to reach it and there had been no danger she would accidentally touch his spark for she pulled it out from the back. It had entered his back and dug a few inches into his spark chamber. Dangerously close to penetrating his fragile spark. Jolt would have had to remove it from his spark chamber as if pulling the arrow all the way through the wound because his back metal and wires had healed over the shard. he hadn't thought to have a human pull it from his undercarriage which was part of his back.

Mikaela crawled out of under him spitting up something blue. He didn't notice because he was focused on how odd his spark felt. Open and free. It felt almost like it was opening even more. A feeling of disgust and the taste of sour Energon made him shiver. Wha-?

"That was disgusting, next time you're going to spill your lines let me know first. I'm not Simmons, no need to 'lubricate' me too. Ugh, I need a shower."

"Oh Frag," Ratchet felt is spark tug as he realized what this meant. With her consummation of his Energon while so close to his spark a bond had formed in that split second. He had longed for a relationship like what Ironhide with October for he had seen how much Ironhide enjoyed the bond and the mech even said if October was made at him or hated him it was worth it to be close to her, but never had Ratchet seriously wanted one. Not yet. Why Mikaela? Why not one of the remaining Cybertronian Femme's left?

Primus, what was he to do?


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N I'm having so much fun torturing those of you who want to know what happened with Ironhide and October. Should I continue in Mikaela's POV? No? Okay, but to recap last chapter for you fuckers who skipped Mikaela and Ratchet accidentally formed a bond. P.S. the Con is my OC sorry if he/she exists already. Not sure if the name is used or not. Also I can'lt believe I have up to ch 40 finished!

Chapter Thirty-Two: Epiphanies

"A-about what?" October asked. She felt sick. She should have just stayed in the bathroom, not only to avoid this conversation but so that she could expel the five apples she had eaten.

"Calm down-"

"Calm down? Calm down! You say the most iconic words that precedes asking to break up and you tell me to calm down?!" She screamed at him. In record time his body folded down transforming into his alternate form and the human sized bipedal him was in front of her holding her biceps tightly.

"Hold on, we are in no way 'breaking up'," the minute those words left his lips her body slumped and he caught her. Her legs had given out with the major relief that washed over her. He googled the words, 'we need to talk' and was shocked that ninety eight percent of the time it was bad news. Breaking up, telling someone a loved one died, so many bad things always came after that. "Primus, I didn't know those four words held such meaning."

"Y-yeah," she was still shaky,fearing that he was about to say just kidding and break up with her.

"First thing, it is impossible for us to 'break up' one bound Cybertronians are bound for life. It is nothing like your human marriages in that aspect. Even after one of us dies it is impossible for the other to bond a second time. Because you are human I do not know if it affects you the same way but it will never be I that ends us," His arms went beneath her legs and he lifted her up bridal style. Ironhide put her in the drivers seat of his form and shut the door so that they would have ultimate privacy.

His holoform blinked out and the seat belt wrapped around her. Hastily she put her hands on the steering wheel and rubbed it in a soothing manner. He had to activate his internal sensors so that he felt her, they were unactivated due to having had the Lennox family in him last. A kicking and screaming Annabelle when she missed her nap was not something he wished to experience a second time. The soothing feeling of her hands on his surprisingly sensitive steering wheel relaxed him. "We need to talk tough."

"Alright," she said still rubbing his wheel, "talk."

"Primus that feels good. You need to stop so I can concentrate," still she rubbed the wheel a minute longer and when his engine purred she stopped. But she kept her hands on his wheel, "thank you. What happened to make you block me off the other day? Why did you send Sam to tell us you wished to not see us anymore?" He had a feeling that she had not sent Sam but he needed to make sure.

Her hands tightened on his steering wheel slightly before she released in to dig her nails into her legs. A frighteningly angry look too over her normally placid or happy face. Sam was dead to her. "That ass hole called me saying that he was no longer going to be in the state. Then he said that because he wasn't coming anymore you guys no longer wanted me here either. He made sure to say that you were insistent upon that. If my mind had been clear, had hearing that you no longer wanted me not hurt so much, I would have seen his lie.

"But to hear that you didn't want me anymore, even if it was a lie, just hurt so much. I felt like my heart was broken. Then when you stopped trying to get through to me I figured you were just trying to see if he told me yet or not. It took a lot of me thinking to realize that you would have told me face to face at the very least," she forced her hands to stop digging into her legs and put them together. they shook with the amount of anger and pain she still felt. No matter the truth or lie the fact was just thinking about him leaving her hurt. It was the same pain as when prime had mentioned that Ironhide might have to stay with the Lennox's forever.

"Hush, Little Spark. I would never willingly leave you-"

"But then I got to thinking further about how you would tell me face to face. I realized that I will still lose you. One day either I will die long before you or this war you are in will kill you. I didn't want to open back up. I was already experiencing the pain of thinking I lost you. I didn't- don't, want to feel that again. It hurt so much."

The belt tightened over her and she reached up to grip it between her hands. The fizzing of his holoform sounded next to her and his metal hand unstrapped the belt before pulling her over to him. he had thought about this too. While yes the 'con activity was extremely low for a long time now, she had a point. He would outlive her for thousands of years if this war didn't end or kill him first. That too he had thought on himself but he would not give up the bond ever. Even if he had to choose a life with someone that would live as long as him compared to the measly few short years that her life would be. He would take those hundred years over any millennia of time.

Starting his engine he slowly drove away from the base. There was something he needed to do that he had put off for far too long. Finding a spot where no one would stumbled upon them he let her out of his alternate form. Confused but trusting him she got out while his holoform fizzed out. After transforming he leaned against a tree and opened his chest. "Become one with me, October, complete the bond."

"Of course," she said entranced by the glowing blue orb.

"October," he said almost harshly, she needed to understand but if she was too taken in she wouldn't, "this is serious, you need to understand-"

"Forever." she cut him off, "I'm in this for the long run. I expect forever." Her eyes had cleared when they narrowed to look at his, the accusation was clear in them. She knew exactly what she was getting into and she was going to dive in head first. Was he?

"Yes, forever mine." He agreed. A small bolt came from within his subspace and he handed it to her, "wear it as a ring." She slid it onto a two fingers before realizing it would fit her ring finger. Like a small bland wedding band. Lifting her up he was about to let her touch his sark when he his sensors started going off. Instead his sparkling chamber opened and without needing to be told twice she entered it. Though she did throw a longing look at his glowing spark.

Through the bond she had felt his urgency to enter the chamber, that he needed her to and it wasn't without a reason. As soon as she got in it snapped shut and she felt kind of weightless. Actually she was. There was anti gravity in here and she waisted a good twenty-four hours sitting and laying? Dude she would have had so much fun just spinning and rolling- what the fuck was that?!

Something had jolted Ironhide so that she moved but because of the lack of gravity she didn't get hurt. It was weird. Even so she was frightened. Had he tripped? Please say he tripped. She did not want to think of the other- Holy shit!

Again she was jolted. Ironhide obviously hadn't tripped. The immensely loud sound of a cannon through what had seemed to be a soundproof barrier. Memmories from getting shot that fateful day came back. the pain and fear were real. She felt like she got shot again when a boom not from Ironhide sounded, for it was three times duller sounding. It took a minute to realize while she had not been shot Ironhide had. The distraction of her over powering fear had cause his attention to divert and it had essentially been her fault he had gotten shot.

Walls all around her emotions went up but she pressed heavily against his conscious with her own. Expertly he dodged another shot at him when he realized that October was fine save for a few emotions that were getting out of hand. But once she blocked all of herself off except her own conscious so that he knew she was alright he was able to concentrate.

The Decepticon known as Streamshot had spotted a lone autobot and had been startled when they started to fire upon him. He had not known it was Ironhide. Now because of Ironhide's expert marksmanship he had damaged one of Streamshot's thrusters forcing the mech to land and fight until his self repair systems fixed the thruster. He managed to hit Ironhide only once and that was because the older weapons specialist seemed to have gotten distracted before getting his attention back on the battle.

Few words were exchanged between the enemies while the shots were exchanged plentifully. When Streamshot's propeller was fixed he threw a small EMP bomb that knocked out anything in a ten mile radius and he did not wish to be caught so taking to the air he flew off only just making it out of the radius in time. Surely the other Autobots were on the way so he used this time to escape. He may be an idiot but he wasn't suicidal. Well suicidal enough to go against the autobot army while they were protecting their temporarily downed weapons specialist.

He had not been expecting that when he had followed his human's signal. All he had wanted to do was find his missing human and make sure she was alright. Her phone's signal had been coming from around here so he had thought that she was here. Flying quickly drained him and he was forced to land. Having taken the guise of a land vehicle had left him out of practice and now his flying skills were left to rot causing him to no longer be the expert flyer he had once been.

On the road again his purple body folded down to a car a tenth of his size. It would be later that a police officer was left wondering hoe a purple Porsche 944 was driving driverless.

October shook with fear and pain. The anti gravity had shut down after a loud ear popping like sound and she had fallen just as hard as Ironhide had. But he had as of yet to seemingly get back up and his side of the bond felt like static. Static with a blob that could be his consciousness or could be something else. "Ironhide?" she whimpered.

Silence met her and even the sounds of fire had stopped. No matter how she cried out to him, shoved the bond, or pressed the button on the apparently not working bluetooth she got nothing. Her phone had crapped out too. No matter how she tried messing with the apple device it would not turn back on. "Ironhide!" she screamed. Over and over she called for him but she got no answer from him.

Why had she ever blocked him? Why hadn't they completed the bond before? If only she had had the chance to tell him she loved him. Not once had she said the three sacred words. She had screamed ehr hate at him, had ignored him, blamed him, and all he ever did was love her. If he had survived this the first thing she would say to him was how much she loved him. How sorry she was for being an idiot. God, why had she been so stupid? Stupid. A love stuck idiot for sure.

But was her love still alive? Locked in him with no way out, as they had discovered before, and no way to call for help she didn't care. All she cared about was whether or not he was okay.

Was Ironhide still alive?


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter Thirty-Three: Onlining

Readouts flashed white across a black screen. Ironhide focused to see how his systems had handled the blast that had knocked him out. Ratchet would weld him to the Med Bay berth if a small EMP had screwed anything up.

::Systems reboot::

::Cooling Fans 10% Rising Not Necessary::

::Motor Control 15% Rising::

::Communications 20% Rising::

::Optics 40% Rising::

::Audio Processor and Receptors 2% Rising::

::CPU 90% Rising::

::Sparkling chamber 100% Complete::

::Organism ? Unknown, No Known System Protocols::

Organism? Ironhide didn't have an organi- ::CPU 100% complete:: October!

Forcing his limited motor control ::Motor Control 23% Rising:: to function enough to turn him to his back he onlined optics ::Optics 54% Rising:: and found out only one was functional yet. His chest opened and the sparkling chamber came out. That had been functioning fully by the time he had onlined and now the door hissed open slightly obviously jammed. Dimly ::Audio Processor and Receptors 13% Rising:: he heard "I- *hic* Ironhide?"

Garbled mechanical sounds escaped him and he knew his receptors had yet to online properly. :Ratchet? Optimus?: he commed ::Communications 50% rising::

:Iron- at ha-? Is Oc- ight?: Someone asked, he was unable to make out who it was due to the garbled link. Instead he sent his coordinates over and over to them. The numbers in a constant loop.

::Stasis Lock- Imminent Shut Down. Unlock Ten Minutes:: His forcing unready systems to work had put into effect a necessary shut down and restart so that the systems would be allowed to boot up properly. The one Optic that had turned on flickered out and was shut down along with the rest of his systems. He looked almost dead with half of his chest opened and the chamber out with being cracked open.

His coordinates had made it to Jazz who's sensitivity to these things had let him pick up on the weak signal. When his friend had not replied to his questions but instead sent coordinates he rounded up Ratchet, fearing the worst, Optimus and the twin terrors who refused to be left here. The five Autobots were prepared for the worst.

While that was not what they got they did receive a big shock. Ironhide looked almost dead. But Ratchet's scan of him said that nothing more than a few jammed bolts and nuts had been damaged. The left over residue from an EMP blast let them all know what had happened. Though none of them knew where the attacker (human, con, even a scared Autobot that was unable to tell the difference due to shorted systems) could be. There was no sign of anyone beside's Ironhide.

"Yo, where's the October? She was wit' 'im when dey left." Jazz said scanning around but the EMP residue screwed with his systems and he wondered how Ratchet had managed to scan Ironhide.

"He should be able to tell us, acording to my scans, and they may be off some, he should be up in no longer than five min-" whirs and clicks started up as Ironhide began to online. Both of his blue Optics light up and flashed as if he was blinking. Wires tightened and loosened as if twitching.

::System Reboot Success; Overlay::

::Cooling Fans 10% Rising Not Necessary::

::Motor Control 100% Complete::

::Communications 100% Complete::

::Optics 100% Complete::

::Audio Processor and Receptors 100% Complete::

::CPU 100% Complete::

::Sparkling chamber 100% Complete::

::Organism ? Unknown, No Known System Protocols::

A groan escaped Ironhide as he started to forced himself to sit up. something in him shifted and he felt it moving. October was unresponsive to his movements and her bond had closed off. Fear gripped him and he swatted Jazz off when he tried to help the bot up. "Something is wrong with October." He said out of a sore throat.

"Where is she man? Ah can't scan fa her."

Ironhide reached to his chest and painfully pried the partially opened sparkling chamber door fully open. Jazz carefully reached in and his claws felt something. They wrapped around it and the soft flesh was wet. October should not be wet. Something had dug into her side when she landed in him. Through his back a shard of metal had managed to penetrate his chamber and when he had rolled over October had fallen on it.

From her side red liquid seemed to pour. She was a sickly gray and Ratchet shifted "put her in me, she needs immediate human help!" Jazz shakily did as told and the minute his hand was out Ratchet slammed his back doors and drove off as speedily as he could. Hundreds of miles an hour, close to two hundred, he drove while diving between any cars that were out around this time, being about three in the afternoon. In under an hour he made it to Tranquility Hospital and nurses rushed to him. "I found her on the side of the road like this, she's lost a lot of blood and the wound in her side is still bleeding. She's been like this about ten minutes at least."

In the nurses and doctors took October. Ratchet watched his young friend, morbidly thinking about how dead she looked. Ghostly pale, covered in blood, and limp. Ten minutes later Ironhide pulled into the parking lot behind the lambo twins. Or rather they dragged his aft in with the chains connected to theirs. That was a real sight for the humans, two Lamborghini's pulling a truck triple their size on the roads. But he was weak and the minute he parked he sunk down low on his axels.

His holoform fizzed into existence but it was faulty and flickered like an old television screen. Angrily Ironhide hit his own steering wheel before the holoform completely disappeared. "One of you two go back to the base and get Mikaela, tell her we need tools to fix a holo-emitter and a gas can of Energon. Hurry," sideswipe raced to do as told while Sunstreaker activated his holoform and race to the ER. He was around twenty-five in looks with light brown hair that reached a little passed his shoulders pulled back into a loose pony tail. Bright blue eyes like the rest of the bots light up his tanned face. A yellow tee-shirt held onto his torse while blue jeans hugged his hips and leather boots were upon his feet.

Looking like this he entered the facility and walked up to to the nurse sitting at a desk. "Hi someone called me about my sister being here. Her name is-"

"Hold on," the nurse said not even bothering to look at Sun streaker. She kept typing away at her computer screen ignoring him.

"Hey!" He growled at her making her finally look up "my sister."

"O-oh. My um yes. What's her name and room number?" Stuttered out the now flustered nurse.

"I don't know, she was brought in here not too long ago. A friend of mine recognized her when she was being brought in. Her name is October Williams," from within a pocket he pulled out a wallet and opening it he focused and created a picture of her, Sideswipe, and himself. Turning it around he showed the nurse.

"Her?" The nurse said shocked. Looking over her shoulder towards an officer that was talking with a doctor Sunstreaker moved away from her towards the two. "Sir! You can't go- Sir!" she yelled catching the attention of the police officer and doctor.

"Mister, you need a visitors pass to get passed this point," a security guard said. But Sunstreaker pushed passed him and the doctor waved the guard away.

"Can I help you?" The doctor questioned when Sunstreaker was close enough.

"Yeah, my friend said he saw my sister being brought in here." He lifted his wallet up showing the picture again, "I called her fiancé and he said he hasn't seen her." The Doctor exchanged a worried look with the officer before they led him a slightly more secluded spot.

"If that's the girl brough in not long ago then it may be best if you sat down," Sunstreaker stayed standing while Doctor Jensen, as his name tag read, sighed, "it's not looking good. She lost a lot of blood and she is touch and go right now. If she makes it though the surgery and over the next few hours her chances of survival will rise to about fifty-one percent."

"When can we see her?" He asked and his eyes moved to look at the moaning and groaning humans. Pathetic. All of them were pathetic disgusting creature. They would be better off if-

"She's in surgery right now. They are trying to stop the bleeding and close her up. Luckily for her her head suffered no trauma and the only other injury she has is a sprained wrist. If her working doctor allows you in an hour at least. She won't be conscious for a while though."

Sunstreaker nodded and left quickly. He got the information he had been seeking. Outside he stood in front of Ironhide. "How is she? What did they say?"

"It's not good Ironhide." The use of his full name made him all the more worried. Neither set of twins or Jazz ever used his name. They preferred to call him either Ol' 'Hide or just 'Hide, "she's in surgery for at least the next hour. Her chances of survival aren't even at fifty percent yet.

"She will make it," Ratchet said harshly. He could empathize with Ironhide now, his own newly forming bond made that easy. If Mikaela, even at this stage of new friendship, ever went into the hospital she would need to survive or he may lose his mind. "in the hour of her surgery I will work on fixing you up so that after your emitter is working you may go and see her."

Sideswipe and Mikaela arrived and Ratchet's spark swelled with her near. "Mikaela, after we fix Ironhide we need to talk. It is important." She agreed, they did need to talk. If she didn't get these feeling off of her chest she felt like she would explode soon.

Together they managed to get the holo-emitter working again and from here Ratchet was able to work on a few bolts that gotten messed up in the fight. But his Sparkling chamber would need work on it that would require him to be in his bipedal form. "Done," Ratchet announced.

Ironhdie was tearing out of his own form and sending as much of his strength to October as he could. With the twins he entered the hospital leaving Ratchet and Mikaela alone. "You said you wanted to talk, Ratchet?"

"Yes, well, you see-"


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter Thirty-Four: I Love-

October awoke to a blindingly bright room and the uncomfortable feeing of air being forced into her nose. Where was she? How did she get here? What had happened? Freaking out she tried to reach up and tear the hose from her nose that provided oxygen only to have her wrist grabbed by a large calloused hand. sitting next to her bed was someone she knew. Knew well in fact.

"Ironhide!" She cried wanting to reach out to him. He was alive, that Decepticon didn't kill him.

"Ian, Love," he said quietly making her hesitate. What was going on? He was Ironhide, she knew that. a large Autonomous Robotic organism named Ironhide and this was only his holoform. "Call me Ian while we are here. They think I'm your human fiancé, Ian Pond. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker are your brothers, due to your real twin brothers being on active duty. Sunstreaker is Thor and Sideswipe is Nero. Everything will be aright, Love, I promise." As soon as the words were out of his mouth a doctor came in.

Short cropped and spiky black hair made the doctors perfect complexion stand out. "It's nice to see you're awake," the doctor joked as he picked the charts at the end of her bed up, "you went through hell apparently. Do you know what happened?"

October hesitated. No way in hell could she tell the truth, 'why yes Doctor I remember. I was inside my giant robot boyfriend when he fell. Next thing I know I'm tossed onto something sharp that's bleeding me out like a pig.' Yeah, that'll go over like a charm. "I'm sorry. It's all fuzzy. I remember getting into an argument with Ian and leaving but then noting after that."

"Well, there was a small ump on your head and as you recover it may become clearer so no worries. You are healing very nicely too. Your side is closing up with the stitches well, with you being conscious it shows up you are recovering, and your wrist will be perfectly fine in no time," her wrist was tightly splinted to keep her wrist from moving too much. "If you are up to it after a talking to the officer you will be allowed to leave."

"Sir, I need to talk with her alone if you will wait outside," Officer Cade, as his tag said, spoke to Ironhide in a hard tone.

"It's alright Ian, I'll meet you at the truck." October put her non inured hand on his arm and he calmed down. Not pleased about this he was unwilling to argue for he didn't want to upset her. "What can I do for you officer?" She asked as soon as Ironhide was outside.

"Nothing. But we have to stay in here for a few minutes making it look like you are answering my questions." He glanced out the window and his eyes lingered on Ironhide's Topkick form. "Did they tell you how long you were out?"

"N-no, nothing was really said to me. I only woke up like ten minutes ago. what do you mean that you aren't going to ask me anything?" Unease washed over her, something was off about this Officer Cade. Perhaps it was his perfectly straight black hair that reached his shoulders, or the build of his that matched if not exceeded Ironhide's holoform. The gun strapped to his waist could have been it. But no. When she met his eyes she knew what made her so uneasy.

No amount of brown could dull those blood red eyes. Eyes that glowed and seemed to look right through her and into her soul. Ironhide revved his engine outside uneasily as he felt her emotions. "Hey, come on, we gotta go- oh. Sorry." A blue eyed girl with orange hair said as she peeked into the room. "um, Officer could you-"

"Help her outside, Loki. I'll pick you up. I have a few more loose ends to tie up." His baritone voice softened as he looked at the girl that had stuck her head in. Loki entered and fully facing October she could see that the girl had a patch over one eye. It was white gauze and since they were in a hospital October that was the reason. "Do not speak with her, say not a word. That goes for both of you. once she is with her Autobot come back in here and wait until you see me."

Cade left and Loki's lips became sealed. no matter what October said trying to get Loki to speak the girl refused to say even a word. Her loyalty to Officer Cade, doubtful that was his real name, was as close as October's was to Ironhide. The half blind girl passed October off to and angry looking guy that glared at her. The moment her hadns were free she raced back inside. Cade was there when she entered and he held her close in his arms.

.~:*:~.

October relaxed in Ironhide's warmed seat and she had trouble keeping her eyes open. "Ironhide,"; she mumbled getting his attention, though she already had it, "do the decepticon's have holoforms too?"

"Yes, that is why you must be careful around strangers, especially now. If you ever see a car with the 'con symbol on it stay away from anyone you do not know." If her eyes had been open she would have rolled them. Stranger danger was here long before the bots and cons became known. "Why do you ask?"

"Officer Cade, his eyes were like yours only they were red. But he didn't hurt or even touch me. I don't get it." Ironhide nearly slammed on his breaks. In the three days he had been talking to the officer not once had he made the connection. Red eyes and the name Cade, obviously Barricade was alive, "they can form bonds too right? Like me and you?"

"It is in their coding but I doubt any would. Too corrupted they barely have a spark left to bond with."

October hmmed and snuggled further into his seat, the seat he was molding around her and softening. Though her eyes were closed and he moved the seat to lay down she stayed awake. Content to snuggle with him like this the silence that filled his cab was not awkward in the least. He made a single stop which his holoform left and returned a few minutes later with a plastic bag.

"Let me see your wrist," he said softly so as to not break the silence too much. She held out her large wrist, the splint made it enormous. As he carefully undid the professionally wrapped appendage he filled with guilt. This was all his fault. He had brought her out of the base. He had been the one to offline and get damaged. Turning over and sending her right into the jagged metal that had been extracted from him had been his doing.

Her foot struck out and tapped his sensitive steering wheel. It didn't hurt but having not expected that he jumped. "Stop it. It wasn't your fault. There was nothing you could have done, from what i know you were unconscious and upon waking up you must not have known about that. Hell I was in there and I hadn't known. Please, Ironhide, don't blame yourself. Let it go."

"I could have prevented it all though. Had I just-"

"Did you know that a Depeticon was going to show up?" He replied to her question with the negative, he had had no idea that the con would show up, "then it wasn't your fault. You had nothing you could have done. Then with what you had you managed to keep us both alive. I say you did a pretty damn good job."

Ironhide finished removing the splint before taking out the brace he had just bought, thanks to a copy of Galloway's credit card that most everyone had a copy thumb went through the hole it was meant to and he pulled the Velcro straps tight but not too tight. With her wrist properly finished he began to drive again. She could tell that something was still off with him and she poked and prodded at the bond until he gave. "I didn't. For a few minutes you're heart had stopped beating. They had been about to call it. They were ready to say you died. Had I not sent such a strong burst of strength through the bond when I had you would not be here."

"But I am here. That's what matter's. Is it not?" With her words some of his anger and guilt faded. It would take time but sooner or later they would over come this. For now they silenced and october snuggled against him again. her side of the bond was open and she let him poke in. Let hims sift through every little emotion she had from tired to just the slightest bit turned on- who knew he had a doting side?- until he was positive she did not hold anything against him. She truly did not blame him in the least and that helped him to let go of some more guilt.

Her hand moved to rub against his seat and he visibly shivered. When her nails lightly raked over his seat he nearly swerved into to wrong lane. She was playing a dangerous game. Not literally either. Ironhide narrowed hi eyes as he looked at her. Eyes closed, body curled up, she seemed innocent. But all of her devious thoughts that made her thrum with humor said otherwise. "What are you do- doing?" His breath and voice hitched when the hand he couldn't see rubbed against the slit between the back of the seat and the bottom. He would get her for this.

"Distracting you?" October questioned. She peeked out of her eyes and looked up at him from under her thick lashes. Like that she looked like the epitome of innocence. Little she devil was in for a world of... distractions, when he was sure she was better and could handle it. Doc Bot would kill him if he had any idea of the 'torture' that Ironhide was planning for her. She had only just left the hospital after all. Hell Doc Bot would be pissed to know he's driving and not having someone tow him. His repairs were still not finished after all.

Hitting a pothole reminded him precisely how not finished his repairs were. "Ironhide, what's wrong?" October had been watching his contemplative face and had easily caught his pained expression. Was he not alright? Had he not healed? How long had it been since the attack and why had Ratchet not fixed him yet?

"I'll be fine, Sweet Spark-"

"What happened to little?" She cut him off jokingly.

"Jazz had a fit as soon as he heard, apparently he had claimed that title for his own sparkmate- if he ever gets one- but do not worry about me. Once we get back to the base ol' Hatchet will look me over."

Jazz, the ass! How dare he take Ironhide's name for her- wait, Ratchet hasn't looked Ironhide over yet? "How long has it been? An hour or so?" He stayed silent and it worried her. "Ironhide, please, how long has it been? Why has Ratchet not checked you out yet?"

"I refused to let him check me out. Not until I was sure that you were alright, that you could come back home with me." His holoform flickered out and his windows darkened. Embarrassed about his, as Mikaela blatantly put it in a vain effort to get him to let Ratchet check him back over at the base, obsession with her he also sped up and stayed quiet.

"Oh, Ironhide," October said rubbing soothingly on his seat, no longer trying to mess with him, "as sweet as it is that you stayed to watch over me you need to worry about yourself. I love you and worry about you. Please don't forget your own needs because of me." All of her words went right over his head. Well most of them did. Three stood out.

"You love me?" This was teh first time either of them were outright saying it. The words love and other similar ones may have been used but not in the combinations of 'I', 'love', and 'you'. His spark felt like it was soaring.

"Yes, you old fool. I love you have been so desperately so since I met you. Only recently did I realize it, but I love you and it would kill me to know you died. Especially if it was because you forsook your own health and needs for me."

"I love you too, Sweet Spark. Forever."


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter Thirty-Five: Back Home

Ratchet was in a foul mood when Ironhide arrived. His patient had tested his own patience and it was wearing very thin. Ratchet instructed Ironhide to lay upon a berth and was going to tell October to get out while he worked, but it was her that urged Ironhide to do as Ratchet wanted with no protest.

Ironhide willingly laid on the berth when October asked him to. The quicker he was fixed up, the more time they could spend together. From where he stood, Ironhide could see the displeased look Ratchet sent October until he quietly followed her command. A pleased look crossed Ratchet's facial plates, and Ironhide knew that if he was in the Med Bay, the medic might have October here too.

"Open your chest plates," Ratchet ordered and Ironhide did. Painfully. Having the sparkling chamber's hatch dislodged caused a vast amount of pain in this area; like a wound surrounded by red angry flesh that made all around it sore too. October climbed up to take a peek into him when Ratchet turned around to look for his soldering gun and a pair of large wrenches. He needed to dislodge the metal that still poked through, and quickly close the wound.

She winced; not at her own temporarily forgotten wounds, but at the ones she could see in the chamber that was now jammed and unable to come out. At the back, she could see a dried reddish brown puddle shape surrounding the metal that pierced him.

"Move, October." Ratchet grunted at the girl. Startled, she scrambled back, and he got to work.

But when he went to pull the large metal out, his blue optics flicked to Ironhide's spark. It flickered with pain and Ratchet was immediately worried. "Calm down, you need to stay calm or I can't get this out," Again he tried, and managed to get it just a bit further, but when Ironhide's spark seemed to go erratic, he backed off. This was more serious than the Doc Bot had thought. "I- I don't think I can get it out, Ironhide." What he was to say next he knew would destroy his friend. "You won't be able to have a sparkling. If I can't get this out, it just wouldn't survive." For a sparkling to survive it had to spend time in it's femme creator's sparkling chamber, where it would form; then once birthed, it was to be carried by it's mech creator to get all of the codes to survive. Any mech could take take the place of a creator, but Ironhide wanted to be in that place himself.

With this news, it seemed that Ironhide's spark was going to fail. It's flickered on and off quickly, and stayed off longer each time; until October appeared at the opening and she leaned down. Not towards the chamber, but towards the still flickering spark. "Shh,"she whispered, and the spark stopped flickering dangerously. "It'll be fine," she spoke to it for when it had become erratic, Ironhide had went offline from shock and pain. His processor had glitched. "Ratchet will get it out, just calm down, Ironhide. I'm right here, so no matter what, it will be alright."

The orb like organ glowed steadily, and Ratchet risked it. If he couldn't fix the chamber then there would be no difference. Ironhide would long to be offlined with no chance of a future sparkling, and if he died as Ratchet removed the metal, then he would get his wish. It tore at Ratchet's own spark to think like that, but what else could he do?

As he made to pull the metal out again, he let his vision move to Ironhide's spark. It was calm as October spoke to it, and even as Ratchet cut the sparkling chamber open more to get the metal out, the spark seemed content. The two really were meant to be together. The metal now out, Ratchet took the soldering gun and welded the open wound shut. Ironhide's body would heal it and a small scar would be all that would be left behind.

All that was left was to tighten the loosened bolts that jammed the chamber where it was and fix the hatch. For this, Ratchet shoed October off and began to work his magic. October was not too pleased with this, but the doc knew best, right? So she moved to sit on the berth next to his head. Finally settling down, she let out a labored breath.

Her side was killing her, and upon lifting her shirt, she could see that she had tore it open just a bit, and it was soaking the bandages around her middle. "As soon as I finish on him I will rebandage that for you," Ratchet's voice startled her and she dropped her shirt. Even if she had the desire to tell him no, she wouldn't dare. It was an unspoken rule that you never question a medic; let alone question the wrench wielding one.

Ironhide took at most ten more minutes, and once Ratchet finished with him, he moved onto a nervous looking October. His large hand moved her from the berth to his desk where he sat down and activated his holoform. "Remove your shirt."

"C-can you help me? I-it hurts to lift m-my arm that high." Her face was cherry red and Ratchet scanned her to make sure it wasn't a new ailment. Sure enough it was only from embarrassment. Even though it was for medical purposes, she still held onto her modesty and the belief that only the person she loved should see her body.

Ironhide's optics onlined as Ratchet helped October out of her shirt, then he was kneeling in front of her just out of Ironhide's sight, for October's back was to him. Watching it but unable to do anything, he forced his feeling of betrayal and hurt over to her. "I-Ironhi- Ow!" she cried. Ratchet moved away from her front with bloodied hands.

"Then stop moving so I can remove this without getting caught on your stitches!" he growled, and removed the pair of blood soaked gloves to replace them and grab a jug of clean water. If the scabbing area was dampened it might make taking the bandage off easier. "Oh, Ironhide; I wasn't expecting you online yet."

"What is-" he cut off, for some reason his vocals were seizing up.

"Hmm, interesting- October stop picking at the bandage- it seems that your spark is upset. What is bothering you? October if you keep picking at it it will bleed more and I will be forced to sedate you to finish replacing the bandage!" October finally stopped picking at the bandage with that threat.

Ironhide was confused. So was she and the medic doing something or was he jumping to assumptions? Love from her was pushed through their bond and he relaxed, if she felt that way for him, there was no way that she had been doing anything less than medically necessary. Calming down again, he watched as Ratchet wet a white cloth and moved back to where he couldn't be seen. Ironhide's own side flared up in pain and irritation as the medic worked on October.

Their bond had strengthened. Since when? When Ratchet finally tossed the bandage away, (he had cut it up the front for easier removal), Ironhide could see the scar that would form on October's side. The flesh was an angry red, even around the bumped out skin that was held together with stitches. Fresh blood dripped as Ratchet took a needle and thread to obviously torn stitches. The once white towel was now dyed pink, and getting darker.

Ratchet finally finished with October. He rewrapped her, and gave her a stern warning about tearing the stitches again. When he finished helping her get her baby blue shirt back on, his holoform flickered out of existence and his body came back to life. He rescanned Ironhide one final time before telling the old bot to drink some Energon and his vocals would feel better. The Energon cube was placed in Ironhide's servos, and Ratchet cast them one last glance before ordering them to leave by the time he got back from talking to Optimus.

"Come here, you big lug nut," she finally said when he kept glancing at her before looking away ashamed by his accusations. "I love you and, honestly, I would be more mad if you were okay with thinking that I would cheat." Ironhide downed his Energon and made his way over to her, where he set the empty cube down and in it's place lifted her up. Bringing her to his face, he nuzzled her, careful of her wound, causing her to giggle and lean into the gesture. "Let's get outta here, Tuff Stuff. We both could use fresh air."

With the Med Bay clear of people, Mikaela snuck in to try and find Ratchet. They had only briefly spoken and she needed to let him know she felt the same. That he wasn't the only one that had gotten feeling between the two. Her growing feeling had only intensified with the accidental bond, and she wanted to explore further with him. She was ready to move on from Sam and wanted it to be him that helped her with that.

Outside was beautiful. Chilly and dead, but beautiful; after realizing she had lost three days being unconscious. Ironhide had obliged with going out, but the minute she shivered, he turned around and brought her out of the November air. Halloween had come and gone while she had been in the hospital. He also realized, after taking a peek at her records while in the hospital, that she had told no one that her day of birth had come and gone. While they as Cybertronians didn't put too much thought into that celebration, it was well known that many humans did.

"October," Ironhide said, catching her attention. She had been watching what she could of the sunset behind them as he headed back towards the hanger. Now though, her attention was no longer on the pink and orange hues of the sky, but him. "Why did you not tell me that the day of your creation had come and gone?" He was not hurt by this, for back then they had been little more than friends, but he was curious.

"I dun' know." She admitted, with a shrug of her shoulders after taking a minute to realize what he was talking about. "I guess I forgot, and by the time i remembered, it wasn't worth saying anything. Unlike most people, I don't really celebrate my birthday. What about you guys, do you do anything for your 'creation day'?"

"No, before the war we might go out for a drink or two but that is all." He admitted. "why do you differ from everyone else?"

October was silent again. Thinking of a way to explain to him how she didn't have anyone to celebrate with. Of course her brothers normally sent a card with some money and when she was younger had given her small gifts, but other than that she never had a birthday party. She wasn't even sure Mikaela even knew her birthday (the girl had managed to narrow it down to a specific month). going with the simplist answer she could, she again shrugged and said, "I dun' know."

The feeling of him rubbing at her consciousness with his own let her know he saw through what she said. He didn't want to push her either though. "I guess it's just that I never had a reason to celebrate. You've met my mother, and that's how she's always been. Back when i was younger it was Moby Toby, 'the fat girl who would eat all of her own cake so why bother going, and when I lost weight, it was the weird new girl. Finally, it was the rich girl, lets go to her party to see if she will like us and buy us things." October shrugged and then pointed out a bird that flew lower than them.

She found a simple joy in that. Ironhide chuckled. At least she was as perfect as she was now because of that neglect. Happy at small things, and always willing to do things for him. Things as simple as quietly keeping him company.


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EXPLICIT BOT/HUMAN MENTIONS AT THE BOTTOM IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO READ SKIP THE .~:*:~. SECTION! I REPEAT SKIP IT AND KEEP YOUR PRETEEN MOUTHS SHUT

Chapter Thirty-Six: About Freaking Time!

Another thing. So I've had several oneshots taken down because of explicit content. So I will you link if you want to read said content.The link will be in the afore mentioned spot because im notposting it on here anymore.

Ironhide got the news around five in the morning that more Autobots would be breaching the atmosphere and landing in a few hours. That meant that he needed to talk to October. Chromia would be one of the six entering. There would also be Arcee and Elita-1, for they were an effective group together. Three others would be coming in with them, and Ironhide decided that this group of six were ones he could live without seeing on a daily basis. The wreckers Leadfoot, Topspin,and Roadbuster were complete assholes, and he would prefer to keep October away from their foul mouths.

"Hm," she moaned from on top of his chest when he stroked her back. He was trying to soothingly wake his little love interest up. Unfortunately that didn't work, and he lifted her up and let her lay in one of his hands. That woke her up. Or rather, him moving had caused her to turn and stretch her side; the pain from that is what caused her to gain awareness. "Ironhide?" She moaned tiredly, and he sensed she was having trouble sitting up in his hand so he helped her.

"Sorry, Sweetspark. But I need to talk with you. More Autobots are coming in today."

"Isn't that good?" October asked with a yawn as she rubbed her eyes. It was too early. Especially to talk. Her hand moved from her eyes to her hair, ANDand she ran it through several times to straighten out any wayward strands.

"Normally, yes. Unfortunately, there is a Femme from my past coming here. We didn't end on such a good note. We had been good together, nearly as good as me and you," he looked down at her with adoring optics. He wouldn'lt trade her for the world, and he wanted to make sure she understood that. He was leaving his room to bring them to the refueling center. "But we had been good. We separated with her still having feelings for me. I am not sure if those feelings of hers have dulled over the millennia or not. Any feelings I had harbored for her have long since left. You have replaced the last that I had harbored."

"So she might try to convince you to get back together?" October asked, mostly awake now. The news that trouble may be brewing in their broken paradise was worrying to her. "I- what are you going to do?" The walls around her heart were going up but before they could rise too much, Ironhide forcefully tore them apart and pulled her into his spark, letting her feel every emotion that went through him, proving to her that the next words he uttered were the truth.

"Nothing. I've got you now, and there's nothing she can do to get me to leave you."

Feeling his love and determination not to let her go, she returned the love he gave her. "What happened between you two?" Her curiosity was also due to wanting to make sure she never made the same mistake as the femme that had lost the best thing that could have ever been hers. Now though, he belonged to October, and she was happy with it this way.

"I- October, please do not worry over this. We didn't last because-" He was worried. She knew he was, and she knew that it was because the reason they broke up was one that was easily made between these two. "I wanted sparklings and she did not." Sparklings? Wasn't she his spark now so- wait. Why did she feel like she knew that word from somewhere? "Children, October. I had wanted to have children one day and she did not."

Her heart broke. He was a different species, not to mention a non-organic one at that, and it may not even be possible for them to conceive in the future. The last femme he was with refused his children, so they had separated. She may not even be able to have them. The difference was little between the two scenarios. "You want- but I- I- Oh God. Ironhide I-"

"Hush, Sweetspark," he said holding her close to his chassis for comfort. "I know. It is fine. Me and her were not meant to be together, that's why it was so important then to have sparklings. Now though, you are all I need. If it is possible to have them then we will, otherwise we will not worry about it." But she could not push it from her mind. He wanted children as much as her, or as much as she wishes to in the future. How could he forgive her so easily for taking that away from them? If she hadn't been human- He stopped her suddenly.

"You're perfect, don't think like that."

Both were caught in surprise when they realized his words. He had known that she was blaming herself, blaming her humanity. Their bond had most definitely grown. Ironhide could not read her thoughts, but when she thought about something with so much emotion, he was able to form those into words. "Chromia along with the others will not land for a few hours more, and I wish to finalize our bond before then. Will you allow it?"

Standing just inside the refueling center for quite a few minutes, neither had realized where they were yet. "Yes, I would like that. Though this time, lets try in the safety of the base," she joked. Ironhide was not amused.

Finally realizing their whereabouts, he set her on the table ordering her to refuel. He went into a cabinet and retrieved himself an Energon cube. Slowly he drank it watching as she peeled a yellow fruit, oddly it had a few brown spots, and she bit into it. A cup of orange colored fluids was set in front of her as she sat cross legged in front of him. The human fridge was newly installed on the large bot sized table due to many soldiers requests. Soon all of this base's soldiers would be here.

"What will it be like? Completing the bond that is." October asked when she finished her fruit, folding the finished casing in a way. She lifted the cup to her lips and took a small sip.

"Whole," he said. Then he realized that he made no sense. She was obviously not as aware of the bond as he was. Sure she felt it and knew it was there, but she must not feel that part of it isn't there. That it left a nagging feeling of being half full.

"I- I think I know what you mean." Her voice caught his attention, and he wondered if he had been wrong in his thinking. "Some times it feels like something is missing. I don't really notice it unless we're apart, like when you went on that mission to watch over Will, but at times there's something in me that just wants to be completed."

"That's the bond," Ironhide admitted. "While it is there, it isn't full, and because of that it feels lacking. Empty, as you put it. When we complete the bond, that feeling will be gone, and when we are separated due to my missions, you will be better connected with me. That feeling of missing me won't be there because no matter what barriers are put up between us, we will always know that the other is still there." He finished his cube as she finished her drink, and he took it from her to set in the sink for others to clean while his empty cube went into the recycling.

"To complete the bond what- what do we do?" Ironhide didn't answer her, but she knew he was amused. With no knowledge before, she had been just as willing to complete the bond. Now though she felt like she had a million questions.

Entering his quarters, he locked the door so no bot, even Optimus, would be allowed in. The manual lock was for if there was an invasion of Decepticons and any humans needed to hunker down. Laying on his berth, he opened his chest again and watched as her eyes dilated. His spark was once again calling for her and she was more than willing to answer.

Unlike when in the Med Bay when she had soothed his spark, it now begged for her to complete the bond. Then, it had been happy with her words when distressed, but now it begged for more. Her hand reached down into the casing that protected the delicate part of him and he had to lean forward a bit. So close, she was so close to touching it, to completing the bond.

His com went off but he shut it down, ignoring everyone. Optimus had tried to tell him that the group was coming in faster than predicted and would be here in less than two hours. But at this moment that mattered not.

Ironhide's spark, angered by her inability to reach far enough, sent out a jolt that touched her and seemed to wrap around her wrist. Panic, she was panicked by this new- it pulled her. She fell into him, and his chest plates snapped shut. Oh frag! His com came to life and he sent out a direct connection to Ratchet ::Ratchet! She's in my spark chamber again!:: Why did she keep ending up locked in him- Oh Primus, that felt... pleasuring.

.~:*:~.

Inside him his spark was hungry. His mate was finally close enough to be spark bound. Her fear was shushed by it and it's sparks, arching tendrils of blue light comprised of energy (the same energy, she recognized, that made up his holoform) that held onto her, constricted in a sick form of a crushing hug. Realizing that it had too much strength, it released her until she could breath again. Her shirt singed and her pants smoked lightly as the energy burned too hot. Fear had it heating up, someone was trying to open the chest plates and take it's mate away.

Ratchet failed at opening Ironhide's chest for a second time, and this time the virus was overridden. Ironhide's fingers dented the berth as he writhed. Pleasure was threatening to overload him. What was going on with his spark?! What had he condemned October to?

October was only being held by the tendrils, stoked by them in an innocent gesture. The contact alone was enough for it, enough to finish the bond by sending Ironhide into an overload. It would prefer to overload her too, but it's sensors noted that she was not ready for that. Not ready to spark mate in the most basic of senses. She would would be one day, and it awaited that day gleefully. For now, it just ran over her body and memorized it; loving the way she squealed as it touched one of her sides and when it ran over her breasts.

It touched the other side, and her pained cry was not unnoticed. Slipping a tendril up her shirt, the energy cauterized her wound closing it up completely, burning away the stitches and making the scar more angry and noticeable than had it healed on it's own. The shocks that bit into her skin temporally numbed her side causing her to release a soft sigh. Leaving her skin for another day's exploration, this tendril moved up to caress her face, leaving no mark, for it had no need to burn her face as there was no open wound for it to burn closed.

It moved over her mouth and October, in a daze, felt it licking at her lips. Unthinkingly she bit it, kind of angrily actually. It was just the push it needed. Ironhide's bellow awoke her from the slight delirium and startled poor Ratchet, who had been about to upload a different virus into him. The spike that was used to interface (a small wire that ended with what looked like a USB) released energon mech fluids that dripped and made even Ratchet flush in embarrassment from seeing such a private intense moment.

.~:*:~.

Ironhide stopped moving, tired, and wearily he noticed his chest opening. Ratchet moved quickly and grabbed October. She was shaken up and confused by just about everything that had just happened. A scan of Ironhide showed that he was perfectly fine but had only had a spark induced overload. Taking October with him, he left the Mech who was still dazed.

Ironhide felt complete. The bond was completed even more than before, and for all intents and purposes unbreakable. The only thing left would be for October to overload in him. His processor registered that his Spark had done no such thing, but it would need to one day. Just not today, for she was unready. October? Where was she? His optics turned off as he offlined. Spent, he could do nothing else but go into a recharge.

Ratchet was scanning October over and over. the only difference he could find was that her side was burned closed and needed to be re bandaged and ointment to prevent infection would need to be put onto it. His scans intensified, and October felt like she was being probed. Probed in private places that she would rather not be. Her hands moved to cover her lower region and she sent a glare at Ratchet. "What are you doing!"

"I need to know if you were hurt, it burned your side it might have caused burns-"

"It did not go there!" she cried out in indignation. Even if it had, which it hadn't, that would have been a personal thing between her and Ironhide. Not willing to admit anything to anyone, she was glad it hadn't. She was not ready for that type of sex. Not now, not tomorrow.

Optimus came into the room, and with a look of horror October knew that he knew. Who else knew? Did everyone know? Oh God, she would be labeled as an intergalactic whore! Ironhide must not have felt her abashed horror, for his conscious didn't move and didn't send any type of reassuring emotions. In fact it felt like he wasn't even there. Was he somehow asleep? She knew that their bodies often turned off if it was necessary.

Curling up and hiding behind her knees, she shut up and began to pick at loose threads of her now destroyed blue jeans. No matter the questions Optimus or Ratchet asked, she stayed silent and pulled thread after thread out. Her nervous fingers shook as she tried to ignore them. Go to your own world, she told herself, and soon enough with the mind numbing motion of tugging on thread after thread, her eyes dulled and she was in her own world. No one but her was there.

She could only see, noting as she forced herself to space out, this was not the world her and Ironhide shared. This was plain old spacing out. Ratchet was worried that Ironhide's spark had, in a way, raped her and Optimus shared that fear. He was open to the relationship, now that he knew of it unlike before, but he was afraid of the consequences.

October noted twenty minutes later when Ironhide became active again. He was in a way sated, before panicking and not finding her. Med Bay, she focused solely on, and he knew. She wished she could tell him everything, that she was alright and that she was just annoyed at Ratchet and Optimus who were still trying to get her to talk. But it didn't work like that. Either way he knew she was annoyed and not hurt, so he took a few minutes to clean up, an essential task. Then after a few more minutes walk he was in the Med Bay.

He was calm and not in the least bit worried about her. Optimus took hold of Ironhide's arm, but he was shaken off. Reaching down and setting his hand on the table, October scrambled over to him. "You destroyed a pair of my favorite pants." she grumbled, shocking Ratchet and Optimus.

"It's alright, Sweetspark," Ironhide nearly cooed, obviously his satisfaction over the overload still mellowed out his gruff nature. "We'll get you a different pair. For now lets get you home to change and shower."


	37. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EXCPLICITNESS IN THIS CHAPTER IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO READ SKIP THE .~:*:~. PART AGAIN! HOLOFORM BOT/HUMAN WARNING

Chapter Thirty-Seven: New Arrival's

October was in the shower at her little cubby hole of a place washing her hair. She had a new set of clothes set on top of the hamper and was just enjoying the feeling of her fingers running through her hair. Ironhide had finally comedown from whatever cloud nine he had been on and talked to Optimus and Ratchet over a private link. He explained how he had been overloaded, but his spark hadn't dared touch her intimately for it knew she was not ready.

Calming the medic and leader down, he said he heard her calling for him and cut the com off. Of couse she wasn't calling for him, but he was tired of explaining this. It was a private thing for Primus' sake! they wouldn't ask a single question had she been a bot! Activating his holoform, he went into her house.

Going up the set of stairs, he followed the sound of running water until he came to a closed door. He knew it was invading her privacy, but he wished to repay her for earlier. Entering quietly, she never knew he was in there until his arms were wrapped around her. Her eyes having been closed to keep the soap out, she hadn't seen the curtain silently open or close. "Ironhide!" She gasped out having what she thought was a mini heart attack.

.~:*:~.

It wasn't, but she was allowed to overreact. He shushed her again, and she shivered at the feeling of his hands moving over her body. One wrapped around her midsection while the other moved lower. "Wha- What are you-" she gasped in sharply as his fingers slipped between her lower lips. they touched her most intimate places and rubbed. "No- I, I- No! Ironhide-" His hand pulled back, and she watched as it flickered becoming robotic. Again it moved lower; but she didn't protest, couldn't.

His fingers moved and sent sensations she had only given to herself. It was different than when she had touched herself. Better, and she moaned aloud and bucked her hips. "What do you want my sweetspark? Tell me what you wish of me." His lips touched her neck. Nibbling, he found a spot and bit down. Sucking hard, he held on for a minute before releasing her. Her hands moved and while one lead the hand around her up to cover a breast, the other shakily, shyly but greatly turned on, moved his hand further down.

"Is this what you want?", he rumbled lowly.

His finger curled and just dipped into her sweetest spot. her skin became clammy and it was not from the warm shower. October's head fell back, and her eyes were shut while her face was becoming red. Again he curled his finger, a silent tease asking her if it was what she wanted. "P-please," she gasped out. Turning her head enough to face him, she cracked her eyes open and looked at him, his bulky body not allowing the water to touch her. "Ironhide~," she moaned.

His finger moved into her, and he watched as her eyes shut again, hips moving forward begging him to go in further and faster, and her lips parted silently gasping trying to catch her lost breath. Moving forward his hand left her breast and he trapped her against the cold shower wall. A small moan escaped her pink lips.

His finger was in her to the furthest it could go at this angle. Pulling it out slowly he hade sure his hand was flush against her so as he pulled out he rubbed that sensitive bud of hers. Her hips tried to move but against the wall and his body, to say she was in between a rock and a hard place was an understatement. "F-faster, Ironhide~" Chuckling he ignored her, and continued with the slow pace he set.

When she was about to be brought to tears, frustration mixing with lust, he let a second finger enter. Her cry had him catching his breath. The bond was too open and if he didn't block it he would go a lot further than just touching. with his second finger in her, he curled them and felt her muscles clench. She was close. Giving into her previous request he picked up speed and began to quickly move his fingers.

She was so close now. His teeth grazed her ear and her breath caught. He nibbled at the lobe before pressing kisses to her neck and moved down. His teeth dug into her shoulder and she cried out, finally going over the invisible wall that had kept her in that painfully delicious closeness. The mark from his teeth bruised in an obvious marking of teeth.

.~:*:~.

His fingers slowly left her, and he lowered them to the ground so that her shaky legs could give out. The water finally ran over her as he positioned them so that it would wash her own juices off of her. "What was that for?" she asked wearily.

"Earlier when you sent me over, during the bond." She 'hmm'd and closed her eyes, needing to rest after that. Lifting her up, he left the shower and covered her in a towel before setting her on her bed. Going back into the bathroom he turned the water off and gathered up her clothes. He would have liked to let her continue to rest, but Optimus made contact with him, calling for him to come with him and several others to meet the incoming group. They should be arriving in about ten to fifteen minutes.

"October, wake up, sweetspark." He ran his fingers through her hair causing her eyes to flutter, "get dressed,we have to go." She grumbled and tried to snuggle back down into the bed further, but Ironhide would not allow that.

Reluctantly she got up and dressed. Following his outside she let his human looking holoform led her to this passengers side door. Once in the seat she snuggled back down and sighed contentedly when the seat conformed to her and she was allowed to rest again. The holoform disappeared, and he drove off with her dozing contentedly in his passengers seat. If he was in his bipedal mode, or even if his holoform was out, he would be watching her with soft optics and a gentle smile. Primus save him if either of the terror twins found out.

The drive to the coordinates that Optimus had sent him was quick, and before he knew it he was parked in the area where the six bots should be arriving. "Just a few more minutes, my friend," Optimus said to Ironhide, who still had as of yet to transform. Thinking about this last time that Ironhide refused to shift had Optimus kneeling as low as he could to peek into the cab. Sure enough October was resting inside of the mech. "It would be best if you were in your true form," advised Optimus.

Reluctantly Ironhide agreed and woke October up again. She obliged his request to exit his form, and once he stretched out, he picked her up and she rested on his shoulder. Though this time, she did not fall asleep. Ratchet took note of how tired she was, and scanning her made a loud choking sound. Her hormones and pheromones were so raised that he knew that they had done something sexual! A lot of attention turned to him, and try as he might he could not remain professional.

::What is the matter Ratchet?:: Optimus asked over the comm link. The twins, Jazz, and Ironhide awaited his answer.

::How many times must you two mate in one day! Primus, if her hormones alone are anything to go by, she's already wanting to go again!:: Ironhide's optics brightened, and he looked towards the tired girl on his shoulder.

Closing off the link, he opened a private one with the medic. The sputtering and stumbling of the other bots in the area worried the humans, but Ironhide was not distracted. ::Must you announce it over the entire link you stupid Fragger? Besides, we have not mated.:: Ratchet obviously scanned October again and sent a disbelieving look towards Ironhide. ::Foreplay and mating are not the same thing.:: The lighting up of Ironhides optics showed the doc bot his teasing.

But Ratchet felt slightly scarred for life. The comm cut off, and the bot refused to look at Ironhide anymore. Optimus moved a few feet further away, and he too would not look at Ironhide or October. Though he stole glances, he refused to look at the two outright like Jazz and the twins were. He was envious of that relationship. Like Ratchet had been, he too longed for a sparkmate. One that would understand he had to put himself last, and her before him, but was unable to put her before two entire races of beings.

The rumbling and heaviness of the air drew everyones attention away from what ever had been the center of it, either Ratchet or the sparkmates, and into the sky where six orbs burst though a layer of clouds. They were arriving.

No one could be certain who was who as the metal shells fell from the sky. All any of the bots were certain of was which three were the male wreckers and which weren't, for the wreckers shells were larger than the femme's shells.

Once all six landed, Optimus and Ironhide made sure to head for one of the wreckers each. Neither were really ready to face the femme that had broken their sparks long ago. October managed to shake off any weariness, deciding it best to confront Ironhide about his action in the shower later, when alone and without an audience, and had been able to watch the show of falling bots with great awe. Was this how he had come to earth- how long had he been on earth?

His barrier was still up, so she poked at it when he began to head for a fallen comrade. He jumped slightly not having realized the barrier had been up but all the same took it down. Instead of bothering with her questions, she just cuddled up to him and settled in to meet the new bots. Clicking and whirring of a different planets language was met by Ironhide's own metallic reply.

"Tha' frag is dat on ya shoulder? You got a bug dere 'Hide." The wrecker said. Ironhide waited for him to climb up closer to the edge of the hole before holding out a servo for him to grab. Hauling Leadfoot up out of the ground was a feat that made him feel younger than he was.

"Nice to meet you too," October grumbled low enough that Leadfoot didn't hear, but being right next to Ironhide's audio receptors had him hearing her mumbled words crystal clear. He couldn't help but chuckle at his sardonic femme.

"Ironhide? Is that you?" Wrong femme now. The one bot he would rather still be lost in space (Primus forgive him) was behind him. "Would you like me to terminate that bug on your shoulder, babe?" she asked. Ironhide froze as his processor registered her words. His optics darkened as red tinted his vision, turning the blue into a purple. He tried to fight the battle mode that tried to take over.

His spark knew that its mate was in danger, had just been threatened with termination, so it had initiated his battle mode. It was a last ditch effort that was initiated when a bot was close to offlining in battle as a self preservation tool. But it had been said that if one perceived a dire threat to their sparkmate, then the spark could initiate their battle mode. Ironhide's spark perceived Chromia's raised cannon as a threat to it's sparkmate. It's tiny, defenseless mate. Ratchet sensing the difference in his friend sent out a warning to the twins and Jazz. Just in time too, for the twins latched onto his arms that raised their activated cannons, and made his shots hit the ground feet from Chromia. Jazz caught October before she could get hurt falling with the knocked over Ironhide.

Optimus passed the hurt wrecker he had been checking over to the third wrecker, and raced to help subdue the weapon's specialist that was back on his pedes with the Lambo twins hanging still onto his cannoned arms. It was a sight to see when Optimus tackled Ironhide as he roared. "What is going on?" Chromia asked in surprise. She had never been so close to deactivation as just then. No con had ever gotten as close as Ironhide had just then.

"She's safe, 'Hide. Look, she's fine save for being shaken up a bit. Take her and look for yourself. But you must deactivate your weapons lest you hurt her." Jazz said, his accent gone with the seriousness of the situation. Ironhide snorted and smoke came from his olfactory sensors. Purple optics landed on October, and as her eyes made contact, she jolted, her fear of his great anger obvious.

Relaxing under the four (Ratchet had joined the pile when he nearly managed to dislodge Optimus) they were wary about letting him up. Jazz moved between Chromia and Ironhide to set October down, and shakily she made her way over to him.

"Tuff Stuff?", she said nervously. Her voice was small, and Sunstreaker released Ironhide's arm. The bots on him tensed, but Ironhide just hid her with his hand, bringing her close to his face. She was alright. There was no need to fight.

One by one the other bots got off of him and carefully he got up. Moving away from his desired target, he held October close to his face nuzzling the shaken girl. "What just happened? Why did he just attack me? Is he glitching?" Chromia asked Ratchet when he moved to check over her.

"If you had just threatened my sparkmate like you did his, I'm sure my battle mode would cry out for me to attack you too." Ratchet rumbled as he looked over the slight scorch mark Ironhide's shot had left. It was, luckily for the protoform femme, just soot.

"Sparkmate? What are you talking about? That bug can't be his sparkmate. I am-"

"The past," Elita-1 said coming up to her triplet. They were not really triplets, but the three never went anywhere without the others, so they had been dubbed the Arcee Triplets. They had all balked at it being Arcee who's name had been taken, until they realized that alphabetically she came first. Idiot Cons couldn't even figure out who the leader of the group was. "You never bonded with him. After so much time, I am not surprised he moved on. Like I had hurt Optimus, you had hurt Ironhide. We are their past now. Nothing more."

"You have gotten wise over the years." Ratchet said to Elita-1. He distinctly remembered her childish temper tantrum when Optimus had refused to give up on the Autobot cause. Now she seemed as wise as their leader. She knew that she had hurt him in a way no mech could ever forgive.

"It does not matter," Chromia growled. "He was my mech, and is supposed to still be my mech. That femmling isn't worth his time. I will show him that, and fix this match."

Ratchet grabbed her arm before she could move too far. "They aren't just bonded, Chromia, they are sparkbonded. You hurt her in any way, and Ironhide will know. If she is killed, he too may die. There is no hope left for you; you should just give up now."

"There is no hope left for the Autobots, but do we give up?", she hissed at him, causing Elita's optics to widen along with Ratchet's. Fear shook Elita. She had a feeling that the triplets may become twins soon. Each day that passed, Chromia seemed to become more Decepticon like.

Both shook off the feelings as she walked away, heading towards Arcee for now. "Have you heard anything from Cliffjumper?" Ratchet asked Elita.

"No, but Arcee is positive that he is alive somewhere. Weak and dying, but alive."

"I hope, for her sake, that her sparkmate will come here soon."


	38. Chapter 38

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My first gay bot couple! Yay! Also when i bring in several other bots I know that they are the same as some of these bots, like Dino and Mirage are the same, but hey I need to kill someone sometime. So if Dino ever shows up know that he will die but Mirage will continue to live.

Chapter Thirty-Eight: False Alert, Real Threat.

A/N My first gay bot couple! Yay! Also when i bring in several other bots I know that they are the same as some of these bots, like Dino and Mirage are the same, but hey I need to kill someone sometime. So if Dino ever shows up know that he will die but Mirage will continue to live.

October rarely left Ironhide's side after the arrivals showed up, unless another mech was with her. A week had come and gone before Optimus called ironhide away for a mission. Rogue 'Cons had been spotted, and he needed fighters to take them down. Ironhide, the terror twins, Chromia, and himself would go and take care of the group with Ratchet as back up and to help should any serious injury occur. October figured that since the femme that hated her was going out on a mission, she would be safe to wander.

Finally some alone time! Well, not really. Mikaela was there. Alone, as in no bots hovering is what she meant. They honestly hovered, figuratively, not literally (for when she had yelled at one for hovering, they stated that only flyers hovered), and it was beginning to irk her. Walking to the rec. room, she gladly sat on the couch next to her friend and rolled her shoulder.

"Hey there my warrior Goddess," Wheelie said, as he and Brains moved to join them on the couch. He squished between October and Mikaela to snuggle up to the femme that he had been flirting with since his accidental creation a year ago, when the second shard of the all spark showed up. Brains grumbled on about Wheelie being an idiot, and gave a small nod of acknowledgement to October. Wheelie may have been an idiot, but he wasn't suicidal enough to go for Ironhide's femme, even if it was only jokingly.

"I'm taken you little creep, scat." Wheelie, Brains, and October looked at her as if she were crazy. This was news to all of them. "You were in the hospital, so I never got a chance to tell you. But me and Ratch, well," Mikaela's face turned a light crimson color, and the once Decepticon bots groaned. Femme talk. Brains grumbled, saying he would rather be scrapped twice over than listen to this, while the red eyed tiny bot scrambled after his friend.

"Hey, you aside for five minutes, you don't think those two are- do you?" October asked watching the two leave. "Like, they never go anywhere without the other, and while Wheelie flirts, it's never serious, and if Brains gets too upset about it he stops. Like, think about it," October insisted upon Mikaela's weirded out look.

"Well, the bots are able to bond with us, so it doesn't seem too far off that they could be gay too... Holy Shit! Brains and Wheelie are gay!" Both girls looked back to the long closed door now with wide shocked eyes as the thoughts finally settled into their minds. Gay.... Bots....

"You don't think others are gay too?" Mikaela asked. Had Ratchet been gay before her? If so, with who? Optimus? Nah, well... nah. Ironhide though. Ironhide was someone that could easily have been with Ratchet- "You don't think,"

"Ratchet and 'Hide?" October asked swallowing hard. "Nah."

"Yeah. Agreed." Both girls went silent though. Images of Ratchet and Ironhide plaguing their minds. October's bond with Ironhide was strong enough that the thought caused him to slam on his brakes as the images of him and Ratchet acting in gay interfacing hit him hard, and he was terrified of what could be causing October to think up of such false images.

"But you don't think- Never mind. Ironhide seems to know what I am thinking and is as disturbed by it as us. Anyway, you and Ratchet?" October said finally shaking the images from her mind. Though not Ironhide's intentions of proving to her he was not gay for another bot. Ever.

"Right before you went into the hospital, the twins painted Ratchet," October snickered knowing that she had helped with that. "Well, I was helping scrub him down, and apparently I came in contact with some fluids that were directly from his spark. It caused us to bond. We haven't gotten really close or anything, but I would like to. You were right when you said he's actually kinda cool."

"He's not bad, but I only said that so that you and Sam wouldn't suspect I had gotten a concussion." Mikaela rolled her eyes. She had known something had happened, and now she knew what.

Their discussion continued for a small while before going back to gay bots. Though this time they were completely joking about it. "Dude! Imagine Optimus and Jazz." October huffed out laughter at what Mikaela was implying. "Lil man is perfect height for giving the big bot some mouthy love, if you know what I mean." Their howl of laughter drew the attention of a certain saboteur who was horrified at the implications they were saying about him. "Then again he's nearly that height for any of the bots."

"Oh come on, he's not that short. And besides, I bet he's the dominant one. A Napoleon man." October felt immensely guilty because she liked to consider Jazz a friend. "But not really. Honestly, he has to be one of the straightest bots I can think of. Skids and Mudflap must have had something but broke it off. Look at all of their sexual tension! The fights over the most stupid little things-"

"Yo! We's not gay!" One of the twins yelled horrified as they came in to hear that part of the conversation.

"Never fer each otha! Dat's just sick!"

"Yous da gay ones!" The two made to grab the femmes, and Jazz just held the door open for them to scurry out of. He was not going to help them, but October had redeemed them enough that he wouldn't hinder them either. Let the others save the femmes from this set of twins.

His comm link went off and he answered it, only to find out that Chromia was missing and he was now in charge of October. "Slag," he grumbled going off to find the femme that he had just released from the room. Why could Prime not have contacted him even seconds before? Though with the yells from the idiot twins, he figured they would be easy enough to find.

His hud on his visor lit up, and a dot that flickered between red and yellow appeared. Either it was a con that was horrible at hiding their signature, or it was a bot turning Con. Chromia! Jazz turned the hud on fully, and found the signatures of Mudflap and Skids, ::Yo! Stop Fragging around! Chromia is in the base an' she's showing up as a Con! Get the femmes to safety!::

::But dayz been rude, saying mes and Mud are gay fer each otha.::

::You want ta be the one ta tell ol' 'Hide his femme is dead cuz you two were too stupid ta protect her?:: Jazz hissed though the link, heading to confront Chromia. He was planning to just talk to her until back up, in the form of three wreckers that were out in the forest breaking down more trees to build more rooms, came. He had already sent out a distress signal to them and Optimus.

How hard could it be to distract a femme for a few minutes? "Hows tha mission go-" His sensors went wild. Pain from his abdomen made him collapse, and he sent out a warning to every other bot. Chromia was hostile. The hole in his abdomen proved it. Something in his mind cried for him, begged him not to shutter his optics. His spark fought to listen. Jolt and Mirage ran into the room. Jolt was an apprentice to Ratchet, only because Ratchet was desperate for at least a second medic and had begun training the reluctant jokester. Now though, Jolt was glad for that.

He began trying to stabilize Jazz as best as he could until Ratchet could return. Mirage went to attack Chromia, but a shot from her had him dodging and unable to fire. Taking this chance, she ran towards where the signature of the twins were. She had figured that if the human was not here being protected, than it might be with the twins. Wheeljack was pushed out of the way by her, and his helm made contact with the concrete wall hard enough to scramble his processor. Mirage was at his side instantly. The friends had been through a lot out in space, and it had been just them them for so long.

The wreckers burst in looking for the threat, but only found a severely injured Jazz with Jolt trying to slow the Energon loss, and Wheeljack laying on Mirage with flickering optics. Bee and the idiot twins were the only ones unaccounted for.

Her false Con threat had taken away the best fighters from the base, and she had taken Jazz off guard. The young scout had nothing he could do to harm her, and those idiot twins were easy enough to beat. Chromia only had to worry about the wreckers. Brutes that used mostly force, she was sure she could handle them. If she could get the stupid bug and squash it she could escape before the wreckers had a chance to get to her. Then Ironhide would be hers again. If he wanted a stupid Sparkling she would give him one. Whatever it took to keep him as hers.

The idiot twins were being the idiots they were, and she managed to get past the arguing duo. Honestly, who cared who the 'gay one' was? They should be doing their duty and trying to protect the bug. Though Chromia wasn't protesting, it just made it easier for her. Into the refueling center she went, and her optics searched for where the bug could be. It was so small that there were many, many places it could be.

Intent on looking for the tiny thing, she didn't hear the near silent lock move into place. Though she took note that the arguing twins had stopped. Probably getting told off via com link.

She never even thought that it had been a ploy created by Mikaela and October. The twins were known for arguing so why would she think differently if they were arguing now? Once in the kitchen area Mikaela and October instructed the twins to lock the door and retreat. Back in the second hanger, where the rest of the bots were, October's heart stuttered. Jazz was fading and fast.

Mikaela ran to him as soon as Mudflap set her down, while his golden toothed brother still held onto October. They may need to make a quick escape still, the sound of a cannon going off back behind them reminded them that there was a large danger still close by. In rolled the missing Autobots and the twins just stared. Skids began to fumble over his words trying to explain how he and his brother pulled off a flawless plan and captured Chromia, but all he did was get out words that made no sense.

The bots transformed, and in seconds they were moving. Ratchet was barking for the twins, the terror twins that is, to bring Jazz to the medbay while Mirage was to drag Wheeljack there. Optimus ordered the wreckers to make sure that if Chromia got here, she was not to get past them to the two twins that were to keep a close eye on October. He and Ironhide would deal with this.

Chromia was now a threat. She could not be allowed to continue like this. October was unable to see it but the rest of the bots knew. Ironhide's optics were no longer blue, the red had leaked into them from his battle mode and turned them violet. The violent nature of him combined with the unpredictable battle mode made no bot question if Chromia would come out alive.


	39. Chapter 39

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before I forget again I just want to say that while their bond is now officially completed, it's more like 99.9% completed. When I get to the finalized bonding part you will know.

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Tiring Day

Chromia Finally blasted the doors off of the refueling center and snarled. Those twins! She would go out her way to offline them along with that disgusting bug! If she ever got her servos on it, the thing will wish it had never been created!

Or she would. Outside of the door she had just blown off was her prime and mate. Neither looked pleased. Why was that bug so important? It was just a human fleshy. She was one of them, she was one of their few surviving race let alone a femme. They should be bowing at her feet, praising her! Her eyes were a dangerous color. No longer did they hold a spot of blue, she was not one of them! They had never done anything for her.

Out of this war, what had she gotten? A broken spark because she would rather not have a sparkling, pain, her aft handed to her by cons that should be offlined. Those she had gone out of her way to hunt down and tear their sparks out. Autobot's be slagged! They were never going to win this fragging war anyway.

"I am sorry, Chromia. For whatever had changed you out there, it is my fault." Optimus said. He was her leader, so it fell upon him; he had sent her group off to fight, and look where it had landed her. Her red optics held nothing of the Autobot conviction anymore.

Ironhide lifted his own cannon arm, and Optimus looked away as the two fired. He knew how this would end. Had known how this would end from the moment Chromia had threatened October upon landing. The blast had missed him by inches, and his fans kicked on to cool the now heated metal of his armor down. Chromia's fans did not kick on. Her optics were no longer red, but neither were they blue. Her now empty shell, leaking the purple Energon fluid, collapsed under it's own weight, and Optimus looked at Ironhide.

His spinning weapons were slowing down and cooling off, and his purple optics were slowly changing back to blue. No threat meant no need for a battle mode. Rolling his shoulders , Ironhide stalked away. He needed to see his femme before the battle mode could completely deactivate. The threat may be gone, but was his femme alright? Jazz most definitely was not, so she may be in a similar condition. Elita-1 and Arcee ran past him to their fallen friend. The loss was strong.

Even if they would not mourn her death, the loss of her life would be mourned. They would also mourn the loss of an ally. Chromia was not only an ally, but a great fighter. But above that, she had been a friend to them. But in a war it mattered not who was friend, all that mattered was who was a foe. Brothers offlined each other fighting because of difference in sides, so it was no different with friends. The loss of Chromia would be a big hit, for she was one of the only surviving, rumored that is, femmes left alive.

Entering the hanger again, any of the remaining bots saw him and knew. They would mourn in their own way; each having found a way to cope differently than the other. The twins, who happened to re-enter just as he did, would probably leave for a week or so to think about this. With the loss of one so close, they would undoubtedly make sure their own bond was strengthened. The Twins were like that, needing their bond reaffirmed everyonce in a while.

While those two would drive above the speed limit racing each other to take their minds off of the loss, he himself would normally be in the firing range. But this time, he would be with October. He needed to make sure she was alright for himself. Skids wasted no time in passing October off the the furious looking Ironhide. Though Ironhide did not voice it, he mentally congratulated the two; you did good boys.

With October in hand, he scanned her over as he headed to his room. She was in a form of shock. Confusion. What happened? One minute she was playing around with Mikaela about the twins, the next the twins were shouting warnings of Chromia being haywire. Now she was sitting dumbly in Ironhide's cupped hands. What-? Her head hurt.

Speaking of hurt, Jazz and Wheeljack weren't doing so good. Jazz was kind of her friend. She liked listening to music with him if he was free, and he enjoyed having her there to listen to music with. While she and Wheeljack weren't really friends, (the one time she had hung out with him, Ironhide freaked and brought her to the Med bay to be checked over by a just as frantic Ratchet) he was an ally, and she cared for all of the bots and their allies.

"Sweetspark?" Ironhide's voice brought her out of her thoughts and she looked up at him. "Y-you're leaking. Are you hurt? Do you need Ratchet?" Leaking? What did he- lifting her hand up she touched wet cheeks.

Numb, she had been numb. So when Ironhide poked at her seemingly empty bond link, he nearly glitched at the amout of terror that washed over him. Never had she been that close to death. That close to a battle. Being shot had nothing on the sheer horror of knowing that someone that's an advanced robotic species is after you. In his hand she shook like a leaf and he began to panic himself.

He was not built to deal with this. Anger, pity, anything but fear. Especially fear that was not his own. October curled up in his hand and he was amazed at how small the girl was able to make herself. Five feet and a hundred pounds never looked so small. One hand alone was more than enough to hold her now.

Doing what he assumed was best, he brought her to his chest plates near his spark chamber and held her there. There was only a slight difference and that was that her rocking and shaking had stopped. Her mind suddenly flew at him, and her consciousness pressed harshly up against his. Like his real body was currently doing, he let his conscious envelope hers and hold it close. Her fear was covered with his relief at her being alright and in his arms- er hands, uh hand... Love washed from him to her.

Sitting down on his berth, he let his body lean against the thick reinforced wall behind him. Optics flickering off and joints locking, a recharge was forced upon him as her mind drew him away from this world into that one they shared. Looking around, his optics landed on her balled up form. She was just sitting there in front of him looking away from him. Knees drawn up to her chest with her chin resting on them, and her arms wrapped around them like if she let go she would fall apart.

No sound came from him. Seeing her like this reminded him that she was not truly one of them. She was, in the general sense, a sparkling. A baby. So young in age and her life had never been in danger until she came to them. Never had she seen a battle, the worst injury he knew she had ever had before these past few months was a scrape. Now though, she's been shot, targeted, seen friends laying prone on the ground bleeding out.

Why did Sam and Mikaela have to drag her into this? She was not suited for the art of war. So terrified of what she had seen today alone was more than enough to force her into hiding within her own mind. Unable to deal with the images she knew were at the edge. He would more than willingly give her up if it meant saving her. Keeping the poor girl innocent.

But it was impossible anymore. She was here now and there was no way to save her from it. Finally he moved forward and sat behind her. He felt her jump but then his robotic arms wrapped around her, hugging her tiny form to his much larger one. If she needed to be held, and he knew she did, he would hold her for a millennia.

When she realized it was him and not Chromia, having irrationally feared the now dead femme was able to still get her, she turned around and held onto him. "I love you." she said lowly. Not wanting to risk destroying anything in this place by breaking the silence.

"And I love you dear little sweetspark. I will never let anything happen to you, I promise."

"Don't make a girl a promise you can't keep, Tough Stuff." She said. He couldn't always be there. He had missions that he was needed for, other charges that relied on him too. Will needed him even more than she did because he had a little angel that was much more important than herself.

"I don't intend to." Ironhide gruffly said. He lifted her chin up to look at her and the more pliable lips of his holographic self molded to hers. It was a chaste kiss to begin with. Then she deepened it, needing to reaffirm that this was real. His glossa pushed passed her lips to be met with her tongue. She wove her tongue over his glossa feeling all of the ridges that made it up and made it able to move. Energon saliva mixed with hers. He had to pull back and break the kiss before either of them suffocated. While he did not need to breath his systems were beginning to over heat and without sucking in air the fans would not work to cool him down.

October wanted more. Needed more. Her lips touched his cheek plates and he could feel the warmth as she moved her kisses further down until she encountered the exposed wires in his neck. Wait- exposed? Optics coming online, he looked down to where she lightly nipped a wire with her teeth- Primus did that feel good- and noticed that he was in his protoform. A cable much further down from her sparked and he realized that his interfacing cable was out in the open, the hutch that protected it must have popped open a while ago. "Stop, October." he groaned out.

"Why?" she panted looking up at him. Moving she kissed the exposed spark chamber plates and her fingers dug into his sides to stoke the sensitive wires there.

"You are not ready for this- this- ugh~ Stop it, October!" Her fingers were like magic. But it did not get past his attention that they were moving further down along with her lips. He could not let her do this. She was not ready to mate with him yet. Her emotions were unstable, and he refused to allow her to regret this later.

He had to wake up. Wake up. Wake up! Wake! The Frag! Up!

Optics onlined and sensors painfully alerted him to his aroused state. His room seemed so dark compared to the world he had just been in. As much as he wanted to mate with his little sweetspark he knew he was right. No matter how much he would have liked to stay in that world and enjoy the attention she lavished on him he would not allow it. Not until she was ready.

October did not wake up like him. Instead she stayed offline and went into recharge. Laying down on the berth, he shuttered his optics and went into recharge too. This day was tiring for them both.


	40. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N I really need to stop with the sexual situations.... Okay anyway. I just wanna clear up something I kinda didn't before. IMPORTANT...ish Holoforms. When they are active the real bodies are in like a daze. you know how if you stare into space you're awake but you don't see or really hear things? That's how their real bodies are. Except for magical Ratchet who has the ability to multitask on such a grand level it isn't even funny. No one messes with him. No one.

Chapter Forty: LEMON! ish...

October arose at two in the morning (or so her phone claimed-yet another new one, stupid fucking iPhones cost a shit ton when an EMP kills a brand fucking new one) and she managed to get out of under Ironhide's hand. "Shh," she whispered when she felt the irregular pattern of his spark at the loss of her. It hummed beneath her and she stretched. "I'm not leaving. Just moving." If she hadn't felt foolish before she did now. She wasn't even talking to Ironhide, but his spark. What was even more odd was that the spark seemed to understand and calmed down. Sliding down his shoulder, she landed with little to no sound.

From sleeping curled in a ball on his chest she felt tense. Like all of her muscles were bunched up. So sitting on the table, she began to stretch her legs and arms hoping to unstiffen the muscles. After an hour, she was turning to the right and left. She sighed when she felt the satisfying feeling of the bones popping. Swinging her right arm across her torso, she hooked her left arm over it and held it so that she stretched it.

Another satisfying pop came from her shoulder and she sighed in relief. Man, she swore, I am never going to sleep like that again. Switching arms, she stopped to listen to fans and other mechanisms starting up In Ironhide. Whirs and clicks formed from his lips making October wonder what he was saying. She was able to recognize those sounds as the Cybertronian's language. A soft blue light lit up the dimmed room (yeah, apparently at a certain time, the lights automatically dim at night and brighten in the morning) as Ironhide's optics turned on.

Something had disturbed his recharge. Scans showed that everything was normal, so he had no idea-October! Where was she? There was no familiar heat signature on him, and where she had been the other night had cooled as much as the plating could, or would, without her body heat. It was a tense moment, then his old body sprung up. He was most definitely no youngling anymore, for his bolts creaked and groaned in a way that only he heard or felt. Yet he was not too old either, for he had a good many years left in him, and he had the ability to move quickly and gracefully.

"What's up Tough Stuff? Bad, uh, dream or something?" October's voice called from right next to where his head had been.

His spark gave a jolt of surprise. Femme had scared the pit outta him with that disappearing move and reappearing. "My sensors didn't pick you up. I thought you had left." Ironhide quickly laid back down and activated his holoform. The human projection, one he hadn't used in a while, was in front of her as his optics dimmed low. He took note of how she warmed up and her face light up crimson. A sense of lust washed over him that was not his own.

Something had happened since the last time he'd had this form out. Whatever it was had to do with... Dog Tags? How did dog tags affect her like this? Well her reddening face and increasing heart rate was nothing to be concerned over, so he pushed it to the back of his mind.

Hands landed on her shoulder and she tensed for a moment before something akin to a mewl left her lips. His thumbs pushed into the muscle at the back of her neck and moved it soothing circles. Probably downloaded a massage tutorial because he was a pro at it. His hands moved down further, and she didn't protest when her bra strap popped open.

Of course after such a commotion as last night, neither thought anything about it. He just had more access to her back. That's all he wanted, and that's all he took. Well, that and feeling her skin beneath his hands when he lifted her shirt for better access. A contented sigh followed that mewl and now a moan came up. Their link told him that dirty thoughts were the farthest thing from her mind at the moment. October was just enjoying the feeling of his hands and the relief of loosened muscles.

His hands were skimming the top of her pants when she spoke again. "Are you up for a drive?" Was her airy question. She felt so much better now. Ironhide didn't feel like answering so he didn't. His head landed on her shoulder and he nuzzled it as his hands moved to wrap around her middle. He was not up for a drive. Or rather he felt that she wasn't. Wouldn't be for a long time. As much as he hated doing this to her, his room was going to be her prison for a long while. No one was going to see her beside's himself.

Ironhide wanted to be greedy. She was his and she would be his only. Not a soul would get to see her until he deemed it safe. His arms tightened and he rubbed his face harder into her neck. It was like he wanted to be one with her. Wanted to consume her so that he would never risk losing her.

And she was alright with that.

Well, with never being 'lost', not the whole imprisonment thing. But what she didn't know... Leaning back she relaxed into his embrace. A small zap, like a static shock, connected with her back and she pushed it off. But while she pushed that off, she did not push off Ironhide's hands that roamed higher and higher.

.~:*:~.

His hand slid under the already loose bra and she jerked. She could clearly remember just a week ago when this had happened in her shower. Yet unlike a week ago there was something different. Not his holoform either. It was like his intentions had shifted. Like-

His fingers pinched her nipple making all thought leave while she cried out. October's face flushed once again and Ironhide realized he loved how she looked with her face reddened by lust. His lips nipped on her collar, and his other hand ran across the hem of her pants, teasing her with dark promises. Her panting picked up as he cupped and squeezed her breast.

She was ready for the most part, or that's what his spark was saying. A mech always listened to their spark. Ready to be had by him in this form. His other forms would still be too much for her at the moment. removing her shirt, his form very briefly flickered, and with that flicker he lost all of his clothes. He knew the human's mating ritual from the internet, what he didn't know was how sexualized October had been.

To find out, he would need her pants off; but for now he was fine with her bared torso. He transmitted a locking code to the door and shut down his communications again. They would know he was online but everyone was blocked from him and he from them. Moving her to laying down and him hovering over her gave him the perfect chance to connect his lips to one of her breasts while his hand worked on the other.

Grazing his teeth over the quickly hardening nipple earned him a cry of pleasure. His lips locked around it and he sucked causing her to hiss and arch her back. She was loving this, or so his link with her informed him. The link and her hips thrusting up both. Restraining his own growing arousal the blunt nails of the arm wrapped around her back dug into her. Had her pleasure, borderlined with pain, not intensified, he would have been horrified with himself.

Her pelvis rubbed harshly against his groin and the only thing he could do was rub back. His lips left her breast with a wet pop before he grabbed her pants and tore the button off along with the zipper. She did not complain, even though there was a tinge of annoyance at the loss of the garment. As an Autobot, he wouldn't understand how insanely expensive these nearly forty dollar pants were. But as he pulled them down and laid kisses mixed with nips on her inner thighs, she mentally said screw the pants. Or rather she would rather screw him!

Ironhide would grant her wish soon. He breathed deeply in and his eyes once blue, like his form's, were tinted violet. He kissed her lips almost angrily before pulling away and bringing her bottom lips with him. it was now red and slightly puffy. His mouth hovered over her lips as he grabbed her panties, "Don't you dare!" she hissed, but Ironhide's lips turned up into a feral smirk and he tore the garment. Did he think she was made of money? (Well she was, but the point was, it was wasteful)

His mouth pulled away and moved to her neck where his mark from before was fading. She was his and everyone needed to know. He only meant to suck hard enough to leave a mark, but as her hips again jerked and rammed into his, how he wished he was already in her, his teeth dug in. He could taste the coppery flavor of her blood but all he felt was a pain that grew in his stomach, a hunger pain. October was wanting this just as much as he was.

Positioning himself he started to push in when the pleasure was gone in a flash and pain and fear took over. His head was barely in her and he could feel how tight she was. "Primus, Femme," Irohide gasped out. "Are all of your kind this tight?" He pushed in a bit further, but had to stop when the pain came again. He should not be in pain. Why was he in pain?

"F-for those of u-us who's f-first time it- it is," her breathing was labored and there was pain in it, pain that he realized was not his own. Taking a second to google 'First Time Having Sex Female' he nearly jerked himself back out. Females of her race were not already ready for a mech. They had to become accustomed to it, and their first time would require him to push past a barrier, making her bleed and be in pain. Primus, this was primitive if even that!

October tried to move but it hurt. Jesus-Fucking-Christ! What the hell was he? A stallion or something? He was enormous. ... Oh, w-would he even fit? He should, but with his girth it could be possible he wouldn't. "The internet says that it would be best if I went in fast-"

"You do that, and I will drop kick your metal ass across the room!" Ironhide sighed and his shoulders slumped. Perhaps they weren't ready. "Just, go slow." Doing as instructed he held back a hiss, her pain was immense and the tight walls that surrounded him were actually causing him some discomfort too.

"October,"

"What?" her reply was strained and his once again blue eyes noticed the sweat forming on her forehead. He kissed it softly.

"I'm sorry." His hips thrust forward and her eyes widened to saucers. Pain washed over him so quickly he was left gasping. Okay, maybe the Internet had been wrong. Pain was replaced with panic, this emotion his own, when he looked down between them after feeling something wet. She was bleeding. Wha-

She was bleeding!

Fragging pit! What was he to do? Had he actually harmed her?

Hip hips shifted just the slightest bit and her nails bit deeply into his holoform's arm. " Don't." she gritted out between tightly clenched teeth, "Move." October closed her eyes and tried to relax, tried to block the pain out. Calming down helped and after a moment she shifted. There was a twinge of pain but nothing more. "I- I think we're good, but be- be..." she couldn't get the words out. Saying be gentle felt so weird.

Ironhide seemed to understand though, because his hips moved just a bit before he began to slowly pull out. There was an after taste of pain but nothing more. When he pushed back in the third time she gasped. He hesitated but there was no pain over the bond. Cautiously she moved her legs around his wide waist and he continued to move.

She tried to move her hips due to his agonizingly slow pace and the sudden movement caused him to jerk. Had a wave of pleasure and approval not wafted over the bond he would have been more than willing to quit. To try again another day. But she wanted more. Wanted him.

So he gave it to her. He picked up speed and gripped her in a bruising grip. All she did was moan, a delicious sound, and motivate him on. Ironhide's mouth met hers and his tongue invaded her mouth before retreating in tempo with his hips. October shivered, though not from cold, and dug her heels into his backside.

In an almost harassing manner, he pounded into her. She loved it. But she could not hold out for long and neither could he. To them both, this was a world of new sensations and they toppled over the edge one after the other, ladies first. His form could stay no longer due to the drain on his energy, and it was gone after a stolen chaste kiss.

.~:*:~.

Ironhide's optics onlined, and he lifted a servo that felt ten tons heavier. Reaching over, he lifted October's weary and limp form up before gently setting her on his chassis. He could clearly see the bloodied teeth wounds he left, one on her breast the other on her shoulder, and where his fingers had gripped her with nearly inhuman strength and bruised her.

Who knew October had liked it rough?


	41. Authors note

So this isn't a chapter as you could tell from the title. I've made a decision on this story after four long years. I would like to continue it but as a writer I have grown so much and this story as it is a bit childish. Not in context but in the way I had written it and I want to change a lot of it including some of the relationships mentions and characters, along with necessary side plots that were fairly useless. The main plot and a lot of the details will be kept but little things (such as coloring and alt modes) and small things will change. It's up to you all if you want to reread it when I finish or just continue from this point on.

That all being noted I have a question for those subscribed or reading this for the first time (sorry to the first time readers lol) But should I keep this here or just repost the new one and remove this story here entirely. Because I've added details, removed some, and am re working almost all of this so I want to know if you all would rather me just replace the chapters as I go along or post the story as a new story and take this one down. Please leave your thoughts in the comments I don't mind if it's logged in or anonymous. I'll check to see what most of you think in a lil bit. :)


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